I was honored to have a front-row seat for Governor DeWine’s State of the State address Wednesday afternoon before a joint session of the Ohio House and Senate. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the first time in three years all three branches of state government were in the same room.
The Governor’s commitment to public safety was front and center during his address, as he said "we are doubling down on our support for law enforcement by giving them more resources -- not fewer -- to keep our communities safe!” The Governor called for a permanent funding source for law enforcement training and asked the legislature to send him a bill that creates a statewide database for disciplinary reports, a licensing board, and requires independent investigation of officer-involved critical incidents. He also talked about initiatives to reduce violent crime throughout our state.
Changing the culture around using electronic devices while driving has been a priority for Governor DeWine. He said more drivers putting down their phones and using hands-free technology will help prevent crashes, save lives, and make our roads safer, and he called on the General Assembly to pass House Bill 283.
Stay safe,
Tom Stickrath
SPRING IMPAIRED DRIVING UPDATE
In this issue of NHTSA's Impaired Driving Update you fill find news and highlights including:
2020 Crash Data Released
National Roadway Safety Strategy
Safe Systems Approach
Program and Partner Updates
Teen and Young Drivers
Judicial Outreach
To view this issue of the Impaired Driving Update, click here.
APRIL IS NATIONAL DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH.
"U Drive. U Text. U Pay." National High Visibility Enforcement Mobilization: April 4-11, 2022
Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing safety issues on the roads today. Distracted drivers aren’t just a threat to themselves; they are a danger to everyone else on the road. The national distracted driving effort focuses on ways to change the behavior of drivers through legislation, enforcement, public awareness, and education.
Click here to view campaign materials for this year's National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
420 Impaired Driving Prevention
420 Drug-Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign / April 20, 2022 (Wednesday)
Although its origins are uncertain, April 20th (more commonly known as 420) has become synonymous with marijuana use and, in some circles, this date is considered is a "marijuana holiday”. Consequently, there will likely be an increase in marijuana use.
So, to help keep stoned drivers off our 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.
Click here to view campaign materials for the 420 Drug-Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign.
Motorcycle Safety
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
Motorcyclists have the same rights and privileges as any other motor vehicle operator on our roads. Our four major campaigns include:
Motorist Awareness of Motorcycles, focusing on helping motorists understand standard motorcycle driving behaviors and to learn how to drive safely around motorcycles on our roadways.
Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over, focusing on impaired riding prevention.
Rider Safety, focusing on the ways that motorcyclists can increase their riding safety.
Share the Road, focusing on promoting motorcyclist awareness and safety to both motorcycle riders and motor vehicle drivers.
Click here to use these materials and resources to promote motorcycle safety in your community.
This self-paced, online course teaches journalists, law enforcement officers, and transportation professionals how we might tap into what we know about language in order to shift the narrative and prevent bicyclist and pedestrian deaths. More specifically:
Journalists will learn new ways to inform the public to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
Law enforcement officers will learn new ways to protect pedestrians and bicyclists.
Transportation professionals will learn to educate others who influence safety engineering to prevent victim-blaming and support sound infrastructure.
The Safer Streets Priority Finder enables users to analyze the risk to bicyclists and pedestrians on their community’s roads. You can use local road, crash, and study area data or select from nationally available datasets to:
Explore descriptive statistics related to your crash data.
Develop a Sliding Windows Analysis using historical crash data to inform a High Injury Network.
Develop a Safer Streets Model to estimate risk along your road network, even in areas that haven't had any reported crashes recently.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RESOURCE PROSECUTORS VIDEO TRAINING SERIES
RECENT VIDEO
COMBATING ALCOHOL AND DRUG - IMPAIRED DRIVING (IIHS), to view this video click here.
PREVIOUS VIDEOS
TO MEET THE TSRP'S AND LEARN WHAT TRAINING IS AVAILABLE TO 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.
WEBINAR SERIES
APRIL TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
Title: CDLs & Impaired Driving: Examining the Regulations, the Licensing Requirements and the Consequences
Date: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Time: 2-3:30 p.m. Eastern
Presenter: Aaron Ann Cole-Funfsinn, Staff Attorney - National Traffic Law Center
Description: CDL holders have the privilege of operating 80,000 pound vehicles, and with that privilege comes greater training, licensing expectations and responsibility. This webinar will analyze the rules and regulations about CDL operators and impaired driving and the legal, as well as the often deadly practical, consequences of what happens when a CDL driver chooses to operate a vehicle while impaired.
There is no charge to attend this webinar, but you must register in advance. Click here for complete information and registration information.
MAY TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
Title: Finding The Story & Presenting the Case for Impaired Driving in CMV & Personal Vehicle Crash Cases
Date: Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern
Presenter: Aaron Ann Cole-Funfsinn, Staff Attorney - National Traffic Law Center
Tom Lockridge - Kentucky TSRP
Description: The opening statement at a jury trial is a prosecutor’s first opportunity to “tell the story”. It is especially important in impaired driving cases to communicate the urgency of the facts and the serious consequences of the driver’s actions to the jury. In this webinar, Kentucky TSRP Tom Lockridge and NDAA NTLC Staff Attorney Aaron Ann Cole-Funfsinn will create a road map for you to build a compelling opening statement in CDL- and personal vehicle- impaired driving and crash cases to help you tell a powerful and persuasive story to the jury.
There is no charge to attend this webinar, but you must register in advance. Click here for complete information and registration information.
JUNE TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
Title: Constitutional Law Issues in Impaired Driving Cases
Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern
Presenter: Ken Stecker - Michigan TSRP
Description: In the recent past, the United States Supreme Court (USSC) has issued several opinions directly impacting impaired driving investigations and prosecutions. This webinar will provide an overview of some of the many constitutional issues impacting traffic cases from the law enforcement officer’s observations of a vehicle in motion through a defendant’s trial. It is designed to review United States Supreme Court cases that impact the prosecution of impaired driving cases generally, as well as cases that have addressed impaired driving issues specifically.
There is no charge to attend this webinar, but you must register in advance. Click here for complete information and registration information.
Description: Despite defense claims that the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) miss the mark in identifying drug-impaired drivers, the SFSTs are, in fact, a valuable tool for law enforcement to rely upon in identifying drug impairment. Join the Wisconsin TSRPs as they delve into these assertions by the defense bar. This session will address what, if any, evidence the defense bar has to support their claims and it will offer practical tips on how to respond to such challenges.
There is no charge to attend this webinar, but you must register in advance. Click here for complete information and registration information.
SEPTEMBER TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
Title: Mellanby Effect: A LEO's Perspective on Homeostasis & Burn Off
Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern
Presenter: Det. Tom Heller, Seattle Police Department
Description: This session will explain from a law enforcement perspective the many factors to review to determine if a defendant is safely off the roadway, including specifics on the scientific phenomena at play in why alcohol impaired people choose to drive. It will explain the background behind homeostasis and burn-off, and discuss how these scientific factors come into play in a DUI case so that both prosecutors and law enforcement officers can better explain and articulate these factors in order to better investigate and prosecute DUI cases. This session is a crucial follow-up to a prior session on the Mellanby Effect conducted by Washington State TSRP Miriam Norman, which explained these factors from a prosecutor's perspective; this session will provide both prosecutors and law enforcement officers with even more information on these factors, this time from the eyes of a law enforcement officer.
There is no charge to attend this webinar, but you must register in advance. Click here for complete information and registration information.
WEBINAR WEDNESDAY SERIES MAY / JUNE 2022
WEBINAR WEDNESDAY SERIES MAY / JUNE 2022
The Ohio Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program is excited to announce the new sessions of the Florida TSRP Program’s “Webinar Wednesday” Series. These sessions are non-state-specific and are intended to assist prosecutors and law enforcement nationwide -- all are welcome.
Specific information on each of the listed sessions below is provided by clicking here. You will need to register for each session individually. All sessions are approved (or pending) with the Ohio Supreme Court for the specific CLE amounts and categories listed below for Ohio attorneys for LIVE ATTENDANCE ONLY.
Here is a list of the upcoming Florida TSRP Program's "Webinar Wednesday" Series.
Title: Preparing Your Motor Vehicle Crash Case for Trial
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2022
Time: 1p-2:30p Eastern (1.5 CLE credit pending)
Presenter: Prof. John Kwasnoski, Western New England University
Title: Balance Testing & Impairment: A Closer Look at the WAT, OLS & ModifiedRomberg Tests - What Do They Really Measure?
Date: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 (2.0 hr. CLE Credit pending)
Time: 1p-3p Eastern
Presenter: Dr. Jack Richman
Title: Vision, the Brain & Driving Abilities: How Medical Conditions Relate to Driving
Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2022 (2.0 hr. CLE Credit pending)
Time: 1p-3p Eastern
Presenter: Dr. Jack Richman
Title: How Do You Know? Understanding Understanding, and Ways to Do It Better to Enhance Traffic Investigations
Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2022 (1.5 hr. CLE Credit pending)
Time: 1p-230p Eastern
Presenter: Det. Tom Heller, Seattle Police Department
To view descriptions of these sessions along with registration information, click here.
WHEN: June 17, 2022 (9:00 am- 4:00 pm)
WHERE: Geauga County Sheriff's Office, 12450 Merritt Road, Chardon 44024
WHO: Municipal and County Prosecutors and Law Enforcement
HOW: This course is being hosted by the Ohio Traffic Safety Office/ Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor/ Ohio Drug Evaluation and Classification program, and Owens Community College Center for Emergency Preparedness. Funding is provided in part or solely by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:Prosecuting the Drugged Driver is a course designed to provide prosecutors and law enforcement officers with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully investigate and prosecute drug impaired driving cases. The course is designed to encourage a team building approach between prosecutors and officers to aid in the detection, apprehension, and prosecution of drug impaired drivers. Attendees will participate in interactive sessions taught by a multidisciplinary faculty. Topics will include: signs & symptoms of drug impairment including identifying causes and prevention of addiction, drug impairment detection, and treatment alternatives, the Drug Recognition Expert (D.R.E.) process, the role of the toxicologist, effectively litigating and presenting a DUID case at trial, qualifying the DRE as an expert in court, and responding to common defense challenges in DUID cases.
The joint training approach allows all the involved disciplines to learn from each other inside a classroom rather than outside a courtroom just minutes before trial. Each profession will learn firsthand the challenges and difficulties the others face in impaired driving cases. This allows for greater understanding on the part of police officers as to what evidence prosecutors must have in an impaired driving case. It also gives prosecutors the opportunity to learn what they can reasonably expect from officers at the arrest scene and to learn to ask more useful questions in the courtroom. Both prosecutors and officers will be able to learn firsthand from toxicologists about the proper use and limitations of breath, blood and urine tests.
There is no charge to attend this training, but you must register in advance.
For the June 17, 2022 class, click here for agenda and registration information.
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.
*****************NOTES FROM LIFESAVERS 2022******************
Submitted by: Rachel Kinsman
Fulton County Safe Communities Coordinator.
We are very thankful that we had the opportunity to attend the 2022 LifeSavers Conference in Chicago. It is always a well-planned and educational conference. Workshop tracks included the opportunity to learn more about Child Passenger Safety Seat, Communications, Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement, Distracted Driving, Impaired Driving, Occupant Protection, Pedestrian/Bicyclist Safety, Safe Systems and Vehicle Technologies/Automated Driving. Because of the proximity to Ohio, both Rachel Kinsman and Karen Pennington were able to attend the conference which enabled us to double the amount of workshops attended. There were so many important topics discussed and information provided that we are excited about implementing these new ideas in our community. We will be including a short educational portion at each of our local Safe Communities highlighting information gained from LifeSavers. As a result of LifeSavers, we will be reaching out to invite some community sectors to our monthly meetings that aren’t currently represented.
Wyandot County Safe Communities attends 2022 Lifesavers Conference
Wyandot County Public Health’s Health Educator Callan Pugh had the opportunity to attend the 2022 Lifesavers National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities March 13-15 in Chicago, Illinois.
Pugh was hired in November 2022 and quickly began taking on responsibilities with the Safe Communities program through the Ohio Traffic Safety Office in the county.
“Being so new to the position, I felt Lifesavers would be just what was needed to help boost our Safe Communities program in Wyandot County,” Pugh said. “Wyandot County is made up of rural communities. My hope was that I would be able to learn from others in the field who had both more and different experiences from my own in Wyandot County. I was not disappointed. The depth of knowledge that I was able to access in those three days was inspiring.”
The conference served as a crash course for Pugh in all the opportunities she had in her position to bring impactful traffic safety messages to Wyandot County.
“I heard from people in law enforcement, those who are running major social media and outreach accounts and even the people who have helped shape the traffic safety branding we’ve all heard, such as ‘Click It or Ticket’ and ‘Drive Sober Get Pulled Over,’” Pugh said. “I hadn’t ever taken the time to think about just how many people it takes to get these important, lifesaving messages in front of drivers and pedestrians.”
Pugh said Lifesavers was her inspiration to bring additional traffic safety programming to Wyandot County, into which she is currently looking. She also learned new techniques for increasing engagement from social media greats, like Trooper Tracy, from Illinois, who have amassed followings that allow them to share important messages with their audiences.
“I still have a lot to learn but being able to hear from and talk with people who had years of experience in the field and who had found success in getting these educational messages to the public was exciting,” Pugh said. “Every single presenter at the conference was ready to speak with me after their session and help me with my specific concerns. It was a wonderful experience; I cannot say enough about it.”
Now celebrating 40 years, Lifesavers is recognized as the premiere conference to learn about the latest highway safety research, best practices, and cutting-edge initiatives; and to explore innovative technology and strategies used to combat risky driving behaviors and save lives. The Lifesavers Conference is also historically the world’s largest gathering of leaders and advocates in traffic safety.
The 2022 Lifesavers Conference provided a national platform with over seventy workshops in nine tracks, plenary sessions, peer exchange discussion groups, and an extensive exhibit hall. The Lifesavers Conference program is designed to engage federal, state, and local government, as well as law enforcement, public health, injury prevention, advocacy, and non-profit organization professionals in an exchange of ideas, strategies, and programs to reduce preventable injuries and deaths.
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Photo: Patricia Middleton (left), Traffic Safety Specialist with the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office speaks with Callan Pugh, Wyandot County Public Health Educator, after a session at the 2022 Lifesavers Conference in Chicago.
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.
