The Traffic Safety Proposal Package and GRANTS Plus FFY2021 grant proposals went live the week of April 20, 2020 with an online submission deadline of May 25, 2020. IDEP/STEP and DDEP went live the afternoon of April 20, 2020. OVI Task Force, General and Safe Communities went live the afternoon of April 22, 2020. The deadline is still tentatively scheduled for May 25, 2020, but is subject to change. Questions can be directed to your OTSO Planner and/or your Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL).
THE OTSO DASHBOARD IN OSTATS IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE OTSO WEBSITE
The red button for Crash Statistics will take OTSO Grantees to the statistics dashboard. The new dashboard allows users to filter crash data by County and by FIPS, and can click on a variety of crash variables to get statistics by year and severity. In addition, data can be displayed as a bar chart or line graph. Dashboard views can be saved as an image, PDF file, or in PowerPoint format. The OTSO dashboard will be updated weekly with the latest crash data.
Furthermore, users can directly access a link to the main OSTATS dashboard to see more detailed statistics and maps, showing crashes by severity and crash density on a map at the county and NCIC level.
BREATH PERMIT RENEWAL CONTINGENCY PLAN - COVID-19 UPDATE
To:
Breath Alcohol Testing Operators and Senior Operators
From:
Jeanna Walock, Program Administrator Alcohol and Drug Testing Program
Date:
April 28, 2020
Subject: Breath Testing Renewal Contingency Plan - COVID-19 Updated 04/28/2020
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Alcohol and Drug Testing Program will temporarily suspend training classes and in-person Breath Test Operator and Senior Operator permit renewal testing.
For Breath Test Operators and Senior Operators who have a permit with an expiration date prior to August 1, 2020 AND who have not completed a renewal test, click here and follow the instructions to apply for renewal.
INSTRUCTION’S NOTE: To get the “Attached Proficiency Test Form” listed in item #1 of the instructions:
If you have any questions, contact the Alcohol and Drug Testing Program at BADT@odh.ohio.gov or call (614) 644-4609.
We will communicate in the future when we are again able to conduct training and in-person renewal testing. If your I-8000 card expired on 12/31/2019 and you have not completed a renewal test, we will resume testing when we are able to conduct in-person testing.
BREATH ALCOHOL TESTING DURING OUTBREAK
Subject: Breath Alcohol Testing During Outbreak
In order to protect ourselves and our communities, please continue to conduct breath alcohol tests as usual. Thorough hand washing is the best way to prevent spread of viruses when we are not able to minimize contact with others, as is often the case for public safety personnel. When hand washing facilities are not accessible and hand sanitizer is used instead, do so AWAY from the breath test instrument. Hand sanitizer vapor in the environment of the breath test instrument can cause an Ambient Fail exception.
The risk of virus transmission associated with conducting a breath test is similar to the risk associated with any face to face interaction, such as a traffic stop.
To view the complete notice regarding Breath Alcohol Testing During Outbreak from the Ohio Department of Health, click here.
If you have questions, contact the Alcohol and Drug Testing Program at BADT@odh.ohio.gov or call (614) 644-4609.
In recent years, the number of pedestrian fatalities in the United States has grown sharply. During the 10-year period from 2009 to 2018, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased by 53% (from 4,109 deaths in 2009 to 6,283 deaths in 2018); by comparison, the combined number of all other traffic deaths increased by 2%. Along with the increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities, pedestrian deaths as a percentage of total motor vehicle crash deaths increased from 12% in 2009 to 17% in 2018. The last time pedestrians accounted for 17% of total U.S. traffic deaths was over 35 years ago, in 1982.
Earlier studies by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), based on preliminary data reported by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs), were the first to predict recent increases in pedestrian fatalities. The current study, based on preliminary data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.), found that the alarming rise in pedestrian deaths observed in both 2015 and 2016 resumed in 2018 and continued in 2019. Key findings include the following:
For the first six months of 2019, GHSA found a 3% increase in the reported number of pedestrian fatalities compared with the first six months of 2018.
However, after adjusting for anticipated underreporting in the preliminary state data and considering the historic trends in pedestrian fatalities during the first and second halves of the year, GHSA estimates the nationwide number of pedestrians killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 was 6,590, an increase of approximately 300 deaths, or 5%, from 2018.
This projection represents a continuation of an increasing trend in pedestrian deaths going back to 2009 and would be the largest annual number of pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. since 1988.
In addition, GHSA projects a pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 population of 2.0, which would be the largest pedestrian fatality rate in the U.S. since 1997.
To view the complete report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), click here.
NOTE: MAY EVENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED
OHIO TRAFFIC SAFETY OFFICE - UPCOMING CAMPAIGNS
From: Ohio Traffic Safety Office
To: Ohio Traffic Safety Office Grantees and Traffic Safety Partners
Subject: Campaign Updates from the National Traffic Safety Administration
State Safety Partners,
NHTSA recognizes that States and our law enforcement and first responder partners are working tirelessly to respond to the current public health emergency. In order for States to prioritize public health, NHTSA has postponed our currently scheduled traffic safety campaigns, including the Distracted Driving, Heatstroke Awareness, and Click It or Ticket campaigns. NHTSA recognizes that States may have to reprioritize other actions and we will re-evaluate other NHTSA-funded activities as warranted in the days and weeks ahead.
If you have specific State questions about impacts to NHTSA programs or grant-funded activities, please direct those to your assigned Planner.
We appreciate your commitment to safety.
Thank you,
Ohio Traffic Safety Office
Share The Road
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
National Ride to Work Day - June 17, 2020
Motorcycle crashes involving another motor vehicle continue to account for nearly half of all motorcyclist fatalities in the United States. Motorcyclists are inherently at more risk than motor vehicles because they lack many of the same safety features of automobiles. From a statistical perspective, motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in a crash than other motorists. NHTSA has a vested interest in addressing the types of motorist behaviors that pose a risk to motorcyclists. In years past, and enshrined in statutory language, these efforts have been bundled under the moniker of Share The Road.
For more information, facts and toolkits, click here.
DRUNK DRIVING | DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER
4th of July
Enforcement Campaign Materials
Americans love to celebrate the 4th of July with family, friends, food, and fireworks. But all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation's roads. This iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to drunk-driving crashes.
Over the 4th of July holiday period in 2017 (6 p.m. June 30 to 5:59 a.m. July 5):
601 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. 39% (237) of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired crashes. This is a 23% increase from 2016, during which 192 people were killed during the same holiday period.
60% of those who died in alcohol-impaired crashes were in a crash involving at least one driver or motorcyclist with a BAC of .15 or higher.
These enforcement marketing tools can be used to fit your needs and objectives while, at the same time, partnering with other states, communities, and organizations on this drunk driving prevention initiative.
For 4th of July "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving" (social norming) marketing materials, please click HERE.
DRUNK DRIVING | DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER PEAK ENFORCEMENT KIT
National Mobilization
The 2020 national enforcement mobilization "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" goes into effect across the country from August 19 to September 7, 2020. One of the deadliest and most often committed - yet preventable - of crimes (impaired driving), has become a serious safety epidemic in our country.
August 19 - September 7, 2020 [paid media advertisement]
August 26 - September 7, 2020 [national enforcement mobilization]
As law enforcement professionals and highway safety advocates, your efforts will help reduce the number of crashes and fatalities due to impaired driving. By increasing State enforcement efforts, raising public awareness through paid, earned, and social media, and maximizing your local resources, you can make a difference.
Use these customizable enforcement materials to help you successfully spread the campaign’s message, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, and complement your enforcement campaign. The high-visibility enforcement model has two important purposes:
Spread the message, and
Increase enforcement efforts.
For more information, facts and toolkits, click here.
Ohio SADD Presents
Online Learning Series
Featuring Traffic Safety for Teens
Spring 2020
Please join us for a great line up of Traffic Safety Professionals to give tips and advice to our Teen Drivers. The Series can be used for the Teen Driver, their parents, SADD Chapter advisors, or for use as an addition to classroom learning. Partners and Traffic Safety Advocates are also welcome. To join our webinar please send a request to tcarper@sadd.org and an invitation will be sent to you, or follow us on Twitter @saddohio or on facebook at www.facebook/saddohio .
May 5 - Car Care for Teens
May 5 - Gearing Up For Your Teen Driving Career
May 13 - Live More, Text Less Behing The Wheel
May 19 - Get Creative (Promoting Traffic Safety)
May 21 - The Distracted Brain (And Its Impact On Driving)
The 100 Days Of Summer
To view the complete announcement from Ohio SADD and for more information and how to register, click here.
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the following free (grant-funded) sessions of the National Highway Institute (NHI) course on Traffic Signal Design and Operation (FHWA-NHI-133121):
June 22 & 23 – Lebanon, OH Click here to register.
June 25 & 26 – Jacksontown Click here to register.
July 21 & 22 – Bowling Green Click here to register.
July 23 & 24 – Garfield Heights Click here to register.
To access a PDF flyer for this course topic, click here.
If you have any questions regarding the online registration process, please contact Ohio LTAP by phone or email.
The Ohio LTAP Center
614-387-7359 or 1-877-800-0031 (Toll Free in Ohio)
Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) provides officers with general knowledge related to drug impaired driving and to promote the use of Drug Recognition Experts (DRE). Law enforcement officers will learn to observe, identify and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both, in order to reduce the number of impaired driving crashes.
The ARIDE program stresses the importance of the signs and symptoms of the seven drug categories. Officers attending this course will receive an update/refresher of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFSTs) and must successfully pass an SFST proficiency evaluation. This training also promotes interaction with representatives from the state's prosecution community who are encouraged to attend. The instructors for this course are all Ohio DRE certified instructors. Prerequisite: Law enforcement officers must have had training in SFST (previously ADAP). This course is funded through an OTSO/NHTSA grant and is free for sworn Ohio law enforcement officers and prosecutors only. Tuition for out-of-state officers is $250.
London instructor(s): Dwight Underwood
Richfield instructor(s): Mike Golec
The view the upcoming classes and to register, click here.
To view the flyer with registration information for Lima, click here.
To view the flyer with registration information for Cincinnati, click here.
To view the flyer with registration information for Norwalk, click here.
Drug Recognition Expert Program
The Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Program is a traffic safety program that focuses on the detection, apprehension and adjudication of drug-impaired drivers.
A DRE is a law enforcement officer highly trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than or in addition to alcohol.
For more information, upcoming training dates and how to apply for this free training, please view the DRE Application, School Information and upcoming classes by clicking here.
ABATE OF OHIO PROMOTES SHARE THE ROAD
Here we are in May of 2020 and it’s “Motorcycle Awareness Month.” With the current health situation there will be no Motorcycle Awareness Rallies, Look Twice Rallies or Look Out For Motorcycle Rallies. ABATE of Ohio, Inc. will not be holding its State Motorcycle Awareness Rally and Parade that ends at the State House and the presentation of Governor DeWine’s State Proclamation and others from all around Ohio. This is the first time in over 30 years this event has not kicked off May and reminded drivers that motorcycles are back on the road.
This makes the safety and awareness efforts of ABATE, the ODPS, the Ohio DOT and many other partners even more important. ABATE has produced and placed over 5000 of the very familiar “Look Twice Save A Life” signs all over Ohio from yard sign size up to billboard size. The ODPS’s yellow “Look Out For Motorcycles” magnets, signs and banners have also been placed all over the Buckeye State. ODOT has used its information system along major highways and some of the portable signs in high traffic areas to help raise awareness. These, along with many others, will help raise awareness and lower crashes. This will save lives and reduce injuries.
In this day of distractions while driving, be it from the mobile computer we call a cell phone or the infotainment center built into the car being driven, we ask drivers to take an extra look for motorcycles. We are a legal, licensed and insured mode of transportation that has a right to our piece of the road.
Be courteous to your fellow road users. Use turn signals and give each other proper space. There is enough stress in life today with current state of things. No need to promote road rage. This message also goes out to the motorcyclist also. Give the other person there space, get home in one piece. Our fender benders hurt a lot worse than theirs.
A little cooperation between motorcyclist and drivers along with the efforts of ABATE and our safety partners will help make this a safe riding season.
Ed Schetter
Executive Director
ABATE of Ohio Inc.
THE STATE OF WALKING & BIKING SAFETY IN OHIO
As part of developing the Walk.Bike.Ohio plan, ODOT has released two safety analysis reports that examine crash data for pedestrians and bicyclists to understand safety trends for the state. Data from Ohio’s statewide crash database was analyzed for all crashes that caused a fatality or serious injury (FSI) for a pedestrian or bicyclist between 2009 and 2018. The two reports reveal what user types are at highest risk for crashes, and what behaviors and facility types contribute to serious and fatal crashes.
Read on for some of the reports’ top observations and how local transportation practitioners can use this information to help save Ohioans’ lives. The full reports are on the Walk.Bike.Ohio website. The data reveals some worrisome trends over the past decade. Bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities made up 14% of all roadway fatalities. Both have increased dramatically, even as overall roadway fatalities have decreased. Fatalities and serious injuries for bicyclists and pedestrians combined increased by 7%.
Pedestrian fatalities rose by an astounding 64%; and bicyclist fatalities by 17%. This meant that in 2018 alone,821 people lost their lives or suffered serious, life-changing injuries.
To view the current issue of the Active Transportation GroundWorks, click here.
Traffic Safety Partners & Parents,
In an effort to stay safe and healthy during the coronavirus pandemic, many of us are isolated at home. As your daily routines have been disrupted, perhaps you and your teen can utilize this time to discuss safe driving behavior. Take a look at our online resource called The Academy for free virtual driver training.
World class instructors will walk you through lifesaving advanced safe driving skills. You will test your knowledge with short quizzes and receive a certificate of completion.
The Academy has 5 learning units that include a total of 21 videos. Each of them less than 6 minutes long.
Speed Management: 3 videos / Space Management: 6 videos
By spending only 20 minutes a day, in one week you and your teen will complete this training course. You can also present the certificate of completion to your insurance company for rate reduction consideration.
Your safety and well-being are our number one priority, and not just when you’re on the road. As you hunker down with family, we hope that these resources can provide a time to bond and strengthen your relationship with your teen, while also providing the knowledge of important safe driving skills.
Please, don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have a question.
Stay healthy and drive safe.
Sincerely,
The Ford Driving Skills for Life team
REMEMBER the OTSO offers materials for numerous traffic safety campaigns, including impaired driving, restraint usage, distracted driving, and motorcycles. Utilizing the numerous materials found here can make an impact that will reach beyond your community. By raising public awareness YOU can help save lives. The order form can be found by clicking here.
