The deadline for submitting a FFY2021 Traffic Safety Grant has been extended to June 1, 2020. Questions can be directed to your OTSO Planner and/or your Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL).
May 2020
Please click here to find the May edition of NHTSA’s ImpairedDriving Division Update. In this edition you will find information about the 4th of July enforcement and social norming campaigns, free training on the ImpairedDriving Assessment (IDA) tool, the National Conference on State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Spring Webinar Series on traffic safety, funding opportunities, and other engaging webinars.
BREATH ALCOHOL TEST STEPS
To: Breath Alcohol Testing Operators
From: Jeanna Walock, Program Adminstrator Alcohol and Drug Testing Program
Date: May 14, 2020
Subject: Breath Alcohol Test Steps
When conductng a breath alcohol test on an I-8000, be careful to wait until the instrument display says "Please Blow Until Tone Stops/R" before handing the breath hose and attached mouthpied to the test subject.
Make sure that the subject does not provide a breath sample while "Attach Mouthpiece" or "Reference" appears on the display screen.
If you have any questions, contact the Alcohol and Drug Testing Program at BADT@odh.ohio.gov or call (614) 644-4609.
To view the complete notice from the Ohio Department of Health, click here.
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.
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 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):
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 Maumee, click here.
To view the flyer with registration information for Cincinnati, click here.
To view the flyer with registration information for Norwalk, click here.
To view the flyer with registration information for Defiance, 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.
#1 - ROAD DEATHS DECLINE IN 2019, BUT CHALLENGES REMAIN IN COVID-19 ERA
May 5, 2020
CONTACT: Joe Feese, 202-580-7930, joe@ghsa.org
Statement by GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that 36,120 people were killed on U.S. roadways in 2019, a 1.2% decrease from 2018 and the third straight year of modest declines.
This is good news, but clearly much work remains. Tens of thousands of our family members and friends continue to be killed on our nation’s roads. We must do much more to ensure we all arrive at our destination safely.
Late last month, many Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) members reported that the COVID-19 crisis has led to more speeding on our roadways rather than the significant reduction in traffic crashes we would expect with the nation sheltering at home. Now, as states begin to reopen businesses and drivers resume their normal patterns, pent up demand could lead to an increase in crashes. Americans, no doubt, are anxious to return to work, visit with friends and families, and socialize at restaurants and bars. When they do, they must extend the same care and focus on safety that has been exhibited throughout the pandemic to our roadways. Zero traffic fatalities is the only acceptable goal.
#2 - ABSENT TRAFFIC JAMS, MANY DRIVERS GETTING MORE RECKLESS
April 16, 2020
CONTACT: Joe Feese, 202-580-7930, joe@ghsa.org
Traffic Safety Community Urges Safer Driving During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Emptier streets may be encouraging some drivers to flout traffic safety laws, including speed limits. Despite there being far fewer vehicles on the road due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, state highway safety officials across the country are seeing a severe spike in speeding. Many states have reported alarming speed increases, with some noting a significant surge in vehicles clocked at 100 mph or more.
Being a safe driver should always be a priority, but during the coronavirus pandemic, traffic safety experts at the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) say it is more important than ever. “While COVID-19 is clearly our national priority, our traffic safety laws cannot be ignored,” said GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. “Law enforcement officials have the same mission as health care providers — to save lives. If you must drive, buckle up, follow the posted speed limit and look out for pedestrians and bicyclists. Emergency rooms in many areas of the country are at capacity, and the last thing they need is additional strain from traffic crash victims.”
Public Engagement from a Distance In order to protect the health of all Ohioans, and in accordance with the executive orders issued by Governor of the State of Ohio, government agencies have been finding ways to conduct meaningful public engagement while practicing social distancing. Ohio’s General Assembly has enacted legislation allowing for open public meetings to be conducted virtually; ODOT’s Office of Environmental Services has issued guidance on how to conduct online engagement for NEPA processes; and local governments throughout the state are experimenting with new digital techniques. Many of the digital tools that are being relied on during the COVID-19 pandemic will broaden the definition and scope of public engagement on all future projects. Planners and engineers can use this opportunity to learn new techniques and help create new opportunities to gather meaningful feedback from their communities.
To view the current issue of the Active Transportation GroundWorks, click here.
INTERESTED IN BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY?
Interested in bicycle and pedestrian safety? Help ODOT update the Strategic Highway Safety Plan’s bicycle and pedestrian emphasis area plan on Wednesday, June 3. RSVP for meeting details!
NOTE
Due to the current situation we are operating under, (COVID-19 Pandemic), our materials orders have been delayed. We will hold on to your orders and as soon as we can get them processed, we'll get them out.
Thank you for your understanding.
Ohio Traffic Safety Office
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.
