FFY 2021 OHIO HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE
Mission Statement
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) mission is to save lives and reduce injuries on Ohio’s roads through leadership and partnering efforts with others interested in traffic safety, utilizing the most innovative and efficient methods possible of managing state and federal resources.
402 Program
The Federal Highway Safety Act of 1966 directed the U.S. Department of Transportation to administer various highway safety programs. This grant program provides federal funds administered through the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) / Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) / Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) to eligible entities to be used for such projects as traffic safety education, enforcement and engineering. Funds are to be used for highway safety support, based on problem identification, with the intent of reducing overall fatal and injury crashes. This program operates on a reimbursement basis.
Highway Safety Office Program
Housed under the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) with oversight provided by the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) administers Section 402 State and Community grants, Section 405 National Priority Safety Program grants, related National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awards and initiatives and contracts for traffic safety activities.
Ohio uses a regional approach. The state is divided into patrol districts and a planner is assigned to manage most agreements within each District. The regional strategy reinforces national goals by focusing programmatic staff on lowering fatal crashes within their assigned region. It also encourages staff to build relationships with a broad array of traffic safety advocates who have interest in a geographic area of the state and allows staff to identify potential partners who are not involved in the planning and implementation of traffic safety initiatives. A regional strategy reduces the number of planning staff assigned to a sub-recipient agency, which allows for consistency within regions and across the state. In addition, it broadens each staff member’s knowledge of all program areas.
To view the FFY 2021 Ohio Highway Safety Plan, click here.
THANK YOU TO OHIO'S LAW ENFORCEMENT
From August 26th through September 7th, Ohio's law enforcement was called upon to raise awareness of the dangers and consequences of impairied driving on Ohio's roadways. Use of alcohol and drugs on Ohio's roadways cause impairment and has deadly consequences. The efforts of Ohio's Law Enforcement, not only during this period but throughout the year, do a vaulable service to Ohio, each of our communities and to each and everyone who travel Ohio's roadways.
In order to assist the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) to report Ohio's 2020 Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over efforts to the National Highway Traffic Safety Admininstration ( NHTSA) , we ask that each law enforcement agency report back to OTSO their efforts during the August 26th through September 7th mobilization enforcement period.
Again, we thank each and everyone of our partners for your participation in these lifesaving efforts.
24/7/365
Law Enforcement Appreciation
Mutual trust and respect are key to a strong relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. However, these days, being a law enforcement officer has never been more complex. It’s difficult, dangerous, and sometimes, thankless - but, at the end of the day, it can also be most rewarding.
Hearts Behind the Badge
Mutual trust and respect are key to a strong relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. However, these days, being a law enforcement officer has never been more complex. It’s difficult, dangerous, and sometimes, thankless - but, at the end of the day, it can also be most rewarding.
When officers are sworn in, they take an oath to uphold the law, and to protect and serve their community. As first responders, officers are aware of the dangers they may face when walking into an unknown situation - that each step can mean life or death for themselves or someone else - but they also understand that it is the job they signed up to do.
Along with the risks of the job comes the power to enact positive change in the community. Each shift brings new opportunities for law enforcement to make a positive impact, whether it’s taking five minutes to play basketball with neighborhood kids, or just being present near a school as children start their day.
There are approximately 900,000 law enforcement officers in the United States, serving a population of almost 326 million people, and officers have a tough job ahead of them keeping those people safe every day. In serving those millions of people, 1,511 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of one death every 58 hours, or 151 per year.
That is why it is so important for citizens in every community to set good examples for each other. Create a ‘safety culture’ within your neighborhood. Set up a neighborhood watch, remind your neighbors to drive safely - in short, watch out for each other and obey the law.
Officers will say that part of wearing the badge is accepting the responsibility that comes with it. So, next time you see a law enforcement officer, take time to reflect on and recognize the difficult career they have chosen, and the dedication and passion it takes to excel at it. Whether the goal is to be an active part of the community, to make a positive change in someone’s life, or to keep families safe, all law enforcement officers have reasons Why They Serve.
To view the NHTSA Law Enforcement Appreciation site and Hearts Behind the Badge campaign, click here.
BREATH PERMIT RENEWAL CONTINGENCY PLAN - COVID-19 UPDATE 08/20/2020
To:
Breath Alcohol Testing Operators and Senior Operators
From:
Jeanna Walock, Program Administrator Alcohol and Drug Testing Program
Date:
August 20, 2020
Breath Permit Renewal Contingency Plan - COVID-19 Updated 08/20/2020
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 November 1, 2020 AND who have not completed a renewal test, click here and follow the instructions to apply for renewal.
BAC Datamaster Proficiency Test form can be found by clicking here.
Intoxilyzer 5000 Proficiency Test form can be found by clicking here.
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 classes and in-person renewal testing.
If your I-8000 card expired on 12/31/2019 and you have not completed a renewal test, please contact the above email address with your contact info and 'I-8000 renewal request' in the subject line. ADT staff will contact you to determine a time to conduct renewal testing.
2020 CENSUS
Governor DeWine reminded Ohio citizens to complete the 2020 Census.
The Census determines how $675 billion is distributed among the states and Ohio’s representation in Congress.
Those who have not yet completed the census can do so at www.2020Census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-2020.
NHTSA SEPTEMBER IMPAIRED DRIVING UPDATE
Dear Colleagues,
By clicking here, please find the September edition of NHTSA’s Impaired Driving Division Update. In this edition you will find information about the Labor Day High Visibility Enforcement campaign, opportunity to present at the Lifesaver’s Conference, and another edition of the TSRP Traffic Tuesday’s webinar series.
We hope you find the Update helpful.
Healthy wishes,
Morgan Drexler, MPH, CPH
E-mail: morgan.drexler.ctr@dot.gov
Child Passenger Safety Week
September 20-26, 2020 (Child Passenger Safety Week) / September 26, 2020 (National Seat Check Saturday)
Every 32 seconds in 2018, one child under the age of 13 in a passenger vehicle was involved in a crash. Many times, injuries and deaths can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts.
NHTSA and the Ad Council launched a new series of public service ads (PSAs) that urge parents and caregivers to protect their child’s future at every stage of life, by making sure they secure them in the correct car seat for their age, height, and weight.
The campaign materials were created pro bono by Campbell Ewald, Casanova McCann, Mister Face, and Wordsworth & Booth and include English and Spanish radio, print, outdoor, and web banner ads. The English PSAs direct to NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat and the Spanish PSAs direct to NHTSA.gov/Protegidos, where parents can find more information on how to determine if their child is in the right seat for his or her age and size. Use these free safety materials to generate awareness about child car safety in your community throughout the year.
You can also visit PSACentral to download the latest work.
Want to customize one of our radio or print PSAs with the tag of your local DOT or organization? Please email Elizabeth at elizabeth.nilsson@dot.gov for more information on this process:
For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week and National Seat Check Saturday, click here.
National Teen Driver Safety Week
National Teen Driver Safety Week is October 18-24, 2020
This week - and every week, parents should have conversations with their teens about the important rules they need to follow to stay safe behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. These rules address the greatest dangers for teen drivers: alcohol, inconsistent or no seat belt use, distracted and drowsy driving, speeding, and number of passengers.
Facts about Teen Driver Fatalities
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15-18 years old) in the United States, ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence.
In 2017, there were 2,247 people killed in crashes involving a teen driver, of which 755 deaths were the teen driver - a 3% decrease from 2016.
Parents can be the biggest influencers on teens' choices behind the wheel if they take the time to talk with their teens about some of the biggest driving risks.
For more information on National Teen Driver Safety Week, click here.
Many training resources are currently available through ODOT’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Center, including a variety of free webinars, eLearning courses and publications!
GIS Crash Analysis Tool (GCAT) – September 23 at 10:00am.
Transportation Information Mapping System (TIMS) – September 23 at 2:00pm.
Interchange Studies (webinar series) – September 22 & 24.
Traffic Calming (webinar series) – September 30 to October 8.
Traffic Signals & Intelligent Transportation Systems (webinar series) – September 29 to October 7.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently published The Role of Law Enforcement in Supporting Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety: An Idea Book.This report shares examples and ideas of how law enforcement can address pedestrian and
bicyclist safety including real-world examples and resources. The PDF version is available online and free of charge at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/49827.
Click here to visit the LTAP eLearning webpage for details on how to access more than 250 free online courses/modules. Topics include Road Diets, Roadway Departure Countermeasures and many others.
Click here to visit the LTAP Route of Navigation (RON) Educational series, with links to dozens of resource publications for topic categories such as Access Management, Roadway Safety, Signage and Work Zone Safety.
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.
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.
Dedicated to the Advancement of Traffic Safety
The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) is an employer-led public/private partnership dedicated to improving the safety and health of employees, their families, and members of the communities in which they live and work by preventing traffic crashes that occur both on- and off-the-job.
NETS was founded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as an employer-led road safety organization.
Mission
Our mission is to advance road safety among occupational (non-regulated) drivers, all employees and their families, and the communities where employees live and work.
Governance
NETS is led by an executive director, under the guidance of a board of directors. Day-to-day operations are conducted by the executive director and a team of employees and contractors.
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.
