The Traffic Safety Proposal Package and GRANTS Plus FFY2022 grant proposals are tentatively scheduled to go live April 20, 2021 with an online submission deadline of May 25, 2021. The dates are subject to change based on the current environment. Questions can be directed to your OTSO Planner and/or your Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL).
2020 TRAFFIC CRASH HIGHLIGHTS
Below are examples of the statistical data comparison from 2016 to 2020. Overall, 2020 saw an increase of 11% in fatal traffic crashes and a 14% increase in speed-related fatal crashes from 2019.
Traffic fatalities in 2020 were 1,229 compared to 1,556 fatalities in 2019. An increase of 6%. Seventy-four additional lives lost over 2019.
To view additional 2016 to 2020 Traffic Crash Statistics from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Statistical Analysis Unit, click here.
Additional information on traffic crashes is available on the Ohio Statistics and Analytics for Traffic Safety (OSTATS) dashboard at: https://www.statepatrol.ohio.gov/ostats.aspx
THE OTSO DASHBOARD IN OSTATS IS 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.
Subject: COVID-19 Directives for Ohio Traffic Safety Office Grantees
A year has passed since Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued the executive order declaring the COVID-19 state emergency. As Governor DeWine is easing restrictions and under the recommendations provided by the Ohio Department of Health, in-person events, meetings and seminars are authorized under the OTSO grants as long as all state and local health department guidelines are followed.
Any questions regarding the above directive, please contact your assigned Planner.
BREATH PERMIT RENEWAL CONTINGENCY PLAN - COVID-19 UPDATE 02/26/2021
To:
Breath Alcohol Testing Operators and Senior Operators
From:
Jeanna Walock, Program Administrator Alcohol and Drug Testing Program
Date:
February 26, 2021
Breath Permit Renewal Contingency Plan - COVID-19 Updated 02/26/2021
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 July 1, 2021 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 12/31/2020 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.
REMINDER
The 2021 NHTSA Communications Calendar can be found by clicking here.
RAIL GRADE CROSSING
Stop. Trains Can't.
March 22 - April 12, 2021 / Rail Grade Crossing Campaign
Although accidents at railroad crossings are an old problem, the problem is easily avoidable. This campaign is a focused effort to reverse the uptick in railroad crossing fatalities. Its message is simple: Stop. Trains Can’t.
National Enforcement Mobilization / April 5 - 12, 2021
U Drive. U Text. U Pay. is a campaign centered on aiding law enforcement officers in their efforts to keep distracted drivers off the road. Distracted driving is a first offense in many States and continues to gain recognition across the nation as a deadly problem.
This campaign is targeted to men and women 18 to 34 years old.
Please use these enforcement campaign materials to raise awareness in your community about the consequences of texting while driving. These enforcement materials do not focus on social norming. For social media materials, please go to:
420 Drug-Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign / April 20, 2021
Although its origins are uncertain, April 20th (more commonly known as 420) has become synonymous with marijuana use and, in some circles, the date is a marijuana “holiday.” On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, there will likely be an increase in marijuana use. To help keep drug-impaired drivers off the roads, NHTSA is teaming up with State and local traffic safety advocates to spread the message that drug-impaired driving of any kind is dangerous and illegal.
NHTSA wants to remind all drivers that: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different.
For more information and support materials, click here.
May 17 - June 6, 2021 / National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization
Seat belts have been proven to be one of the best ways to save your life in a crash. Yet many still do not buckle up. Worse still, not wearing a seat belt is a habit that will pass on to impressionable youth, who in turn will think it’s safe to not buckle up. The Click It or Ticketcampaign focuses on safety education, strong laws, and law enforcement officers saving lives. Dates to remember:
May 10 - June 17, 2021 (earned media)
May 17 - June 6, 2021 (paid media)
May 24 - June 6, 2021 (enforcement)
Use these enforcement resources for outreach during the campaign dates to highlight the dangers of not wearing a seat belt. These materials do not focus on social norming – for those materials, please refer to our Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. campaign.
For more information and support materials, 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! Please visit the LTAP Available Training webpage for additional information.
Click here to visit the LTAP eLearning webpage for details on how to access more than 300 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.
Submitted by: Shelli Stephens-Stidham - Senior Program Consultant, Safe States Alliance and
Sandy Spavone - Executive Director, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)
As track leaders for the Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities, we are inviting you to the 2021 conference to be held virtually April 26 – 28. Visit the Lifesavers Conference website at www.lifesaversconference.org to register and view the conference schedule.
Lifesavers is the world’s largest gathering of highway safety leaders and advocates. The 2021 Virtual Conference offers 70 workshops in nine tracks, plenary sessions, peer exchange discussion groups, and an interactive exhibit hall. Critical highway safety topics, including responses to COVID-19 and current social events, will be presented in a virtual environment designed to engage participants in an exchange of ideas, strategies, and solutions.
Vulnerable road users include pedestrians, bicyclists, teens, aging drivers, and motorcyclists. Data for 2018 show that 1,719 young drivers (ages 15-20) were killed in crashes in the U.S. and an estimated 198,000 young drivers were injured in motor vehicle crashes. There was an increase in fatalities of pedestrians (6,283) and bicyclists (857) and an additional 4,985 motorcyclists were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. That same year, 6,907 people 65 and older were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S., accounting for roughly 19 percent of all traffic fatalities.
Like you, we are committed to improving these numbers. These past months we have had the pleasure of working with experts and advocates who volunteered their time to create a solution-driven program that shares research and initiatives to help protect our most vulnerable populations. Visit the Lifesavers Conference website’s workshops page (https://lifesaversconference.org/workshops-handouts/) to view workshops being offered this year.
For the past 39 years, Lifesavers has offered exceptional networking and learning opportunities. Join with other dedicated highway safety professionals to virtually share information, best practices, and experiences to reduce preventable injuries and deaths on our nation’s highways and create safer communities.
REGISTRATION NOTE from Mary Lofgren - Meetings Management, Inc.
For the 2021 Virtual LifeSavers Conference, you can register at the $275 rate up until the conference in April. We do ask that folks register by Friday, April 23 so we have time to send the link to the online platform before the conference begins on Monday April 26.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RESOURCE PROSECUTORS
VIDEO TRAINING SERIES
PREVIOUS VIDEOS
TO MEET THE TSRP'S AND LEARN WHAT TRAINING IS AVAILABLETO LAW ENFORMCEMENT AND PROSECUTORS, click here.
TRAFFIC SAFETY CASE LAW UPDATE FOR 2020 - to view this video click here.
OHIO INTOXILYZER 8000 FOR PROSECUTORS - to view click here.
Stay tuned to future issues of TrafficWise as new videos are released.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RESOURCE PROSECUTORS WEBINARS
DUSTED IN HOUSTON: A SPIKE IN PCI DUI CASES
April 13, 2021
The Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) conducted a study based on Houston Police DWI cases and found a large increase in driving cases that involved PCP. This presentation will discuss PCP and its effects on the human body and driving in general, and it will further discuss the HFSC study and its findings so that officers and prosecutors can better understand DWI cases involving PCP. The goal of this session will be to enhance an officer's ability to investigate a PCP related DWI case as well as to enhance a prosecutor's ability to properly and effectively prosecute such a case.
Approved for 1.5 general CLE credit hours by the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Continuing Legal Education. To view the complete flyer and registration information, click here.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF FIELD SOBRIETY TEST EVIDENCE
IN DRUG IMPAIRED DRIVING CASES.
May 4, 2021
This session will provide an overview of field sobriety test evidence as it relates to drug impaired driving cases. Presenters Deena Ryerson, Oregon Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, and Ashley Schluck, Wyoming TSRP, will discuss defense challenges in the use of field sobriety test evidence for drug impairment. The session will further cover various court rulings on this issue and how prosecutors and law enforcement officers can prepare to deal with challenges to the admission.
Approved for 1.5 general CLE credit hours by the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Continuing Legal Education. To view the complete flyer and registration information, click here.
JUNE 2021 TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
USING THE BODY WORN CAMERA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
DURING THE DRUG INFLUENCE EVALUATTION
Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern
Presenter: Lt. Allan Kolak – Cape Coral (FL) Police Department
Description: This session will discuss the benefits of wearing a body worn camera system and explain how to use it to your advantage in a DUI case involving a Drug Recognition Expert Evaluation. In addition to the technical aspects of the body worn camera system, attendees will learn proper camera positioning, lighting, and audio applications when conducting a Drug Influence Evaluation and how to best preserve the Drug Influence Evaluation on video for court presentation. Furthermore, this session will explain to both prosecutors and law enforcement how to use such video evidence to enhance courtroom presentation during a DUI case involving a DRE Evaluation. As this session provides a discussion on what to do and what not to do while using a body worn camera system, attendees will learn how video can help to not only enhance case presentation but also to promote professionalism by accurately documenting the activities that occur throughout the entire DUI investigation.
These webinars are being conducted by the Florida TSRP Program and the National TSRP Program utilizing the National TSRP Program webinar account. The account is funded through the NAPC/NHTSA Cooperative Agreement, Project Number 693JJ92050011.
This activity has been approved by the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Continuing Legal Education for 1.5 general CLE credit hours for prosecutors. There is a twenty-four (24) hour limitation on Live Interactive Webinars (Gov. Bar R. X, Sec. 5 (E)(2)).
The webinar is FREE to participants. Upon completing the webinar, each attendee must email his/ her Ohio bar number to hreesetsrp@gmail.com as certification of attendance, and she will submit them to the Ohio Supreme Court.
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.
To 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.
NETS ANNOUNCES UPDATED
COST OF MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES TO EMPLOYERS REPORT AND
COST OF CRASHES CALCULATOR APP FOR EMPLOYERS.
March 15, 2021
Vienna, VA - The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) has released an updated Cost of Motor Vehicle Crashes to Employers report and accompanying Cost of Crashes Calculator, developed by NETS through a cooperative agreement with NHTSA.
The report is provided for employers to understand the cost of crashes incurred by their occupational fleets, in addition to the on- and off-the-job costs of crashes for all their employees and their employees’ dependents.
Regardless of company size, the information in the report and calculator cost calculations can serve as helpful tools in complementing an employer’s overall road safety effort.
A serious vehicle crash impacts more than the driver or passengers. While they may sustain injuries from a collision, their employer is also likely to feel the impact. That’s why many employers are taking an active role in educating their employees on safe driving.
Employers are in a unique position to directly influence their employees driving habits – and literally save lives. Those with robust road safety programs understand that whether an employee is involved in a crash when driving on the job or off the job, it still affects the employer. Implementing proactive safety initiatives such as defensive driver training and establishing comprehensive policies surrounding distractions, seat belts and fatigue are just a few measures employers can take to reduce employee risk behind the wheel.
With this data, you’ll be able to make the business case to support investment in employee-wide safe driving programs. They say that knowledge is power. In this case, knowledge can help you to reduce risk and save lives. What could be more powerful than that?
KNOW YOUR COSTS
Measure your company’s cost of crashes, both on-the-job and off-the-job with NETS’ new Cost of Collisions Calculator.
Access the free Cost of Motor Vehicle Crashes to Employers Report and Cost of Crashes Calculator App:
Please find attached the April edition of NHTSA’s Impaired Driving Division Update by clicking here.
In this edition you will find a variety information including; a sneak peek into NHTSA’s virtual booth at the Lifesavers Conference, two funding opportunities for drug-impaired driving enforcement, and a job opening at NHTSA.
We hope you find the Update helpful.
Healthy Wishes,
Morgan
REMEMBER the OTSO offers materials for numerous traffic safety campaigns, including impaired driving, restraint usage, distracted driving, speeding 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.
