On Tuesday May 17, 2022 Wood County Safe Communities Coalition was joined by Mercy Health and local law enforcement and emergency responders for the start of the annual Click it or Ticket National mobilization. The event’s keynote speaker was State Rep. Haraz N. Ghanbari. Also, Safe Communities awarded a Saved by the Belt award to Rachel Buehrer of Tontogany, who survived a serious injury crash on December 3, 2021.
Nearly 100 car dealerships from the Greater Cincinnati Auto Dealers Association partnered with Hamilton Co. Safe Communities to promote the Click It or Ticket Campaign for the first time. The kickoff event was held at Mike Castrucci Chevrolet in Milford on Monday May 16, 2022 with Ohio BMV Registrar Charles Norman as the featured speaker.
The Delaware County SAFE Coalition presented a community safety advocate award to crash survivor Tammy Bellios Penter, who was the featured speaker at the Click It or Ticket kickoff event on May 20th during Delaware's Food Truck Friday. Tammy is partially paralyzed as a result of not wearing her seat belt in a crash 30 years ago. She is now an inspiring advocate for occupant protection.
Next: Plan Ahead This Labor Day Holiday
August 19 - September 5, 2022 / National Impaired Driving Enforcement Mobilization
Many Americans look to the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summer. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely. This Labor Day weekend, law enforcement across the state of Ohio are participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign, which focuses on safety education, strong laws, and law enforcement support to save lives. Remember these dates:
August 17 - September 5, 2022 / Paid Media for National Enforcement
August 19 - September 5, 2022 / National Enforcement Mobilization
Click here to view the NHTSA campaign materials for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” National Enforcement Mobilization.
Note: No one may alter, edit, or change a NHTSA TV ad or video.
New Communication Card to Help Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals Communicate with Law Enforcement
Developed by the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities & statewide law enforcement partners
This new communication card which can be downloaded onto a phone or printed and stored inside a vehicle, wallet, or purse, includes various pictures that deaf and hard of hearing individuals can point to in order to help them more easily communicate during interactions with law enforcement.
“Removing barriers for Ohioans with disabilities is crucial for helping them live self-determined independent lives,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “This new communication tool will improve safety for the deaf and hard of hearing community as well as law enforcement officers across the state.”
The card displays icons of common violations and provides tips for law enforcement to help officers effectively communicate with those who are hard of hearing or deaf.
“Approximately 303,000 Ohioans are deaf or hard of hearing,” said Kevin Miller, OOD Director. “We appreciate our partners from the Community Centers for the Deaf, Deaf World Against Violence Everywhere, and the Coalition for Deaf Access and Equity for collaborating on this practical solution to help bridge communication gaps and improve understanding.”
The Buckeye State Sheriffs Association, Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, and Ohio State Highway Patrol also participated in the development of the card.
“We believe that communication between law enforcement and all citizens is important,” said Tom Stickrath, Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “OTSO will also print and distribute copies of the card to Ohio law enforcement agencies across the state so that they can have a copy to carry with them.”
Click here to order these materials to share and distribute in your community.
Road to Safety: June 6th is Secure Your Load Day
According to recent data released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) crashes caused by unsecured loads and road debris resulted in 715 deaths, 16,595 injuries and 82,479 property damage crashes in 2020. Those numbers in all categories reflect a decrease compared to the 2019 data. Thanks to all who have participated in the Secure Your Load Day safety campaign. You are truly making a difference!
Robin Abel, a Seattle, Washington resident and Paul Reif an Arizona resident have made it their mission to fight this senseless and avoidable danger after Abel’s daughter was catastrophically injured and Reif’s son was killed by an unsecured load on June 6th. In an effort to make load-securing a standard practice, Abel and Reif urge everyone to share this traffic safety message. A few simple steps will save lives.
Tie down load with rope, netting or straps.
Tie large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer.
Cover the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting.
Don’t overload the vehicle.
Always double check load to make sure a load is secure
“We put on our seatbelts and fasten our children in car seats so why is it that we think it’s OK to leave anything loose in the bed of our trucks and risk endangering others on the road?" said Abel. "A 20-pound object at 55 MPH has a force of 1000 pounds at impact. Secure Your Load as if everyone you love is driving in the car behind you.”
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
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 - 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: 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.
Supporting Ohio’s Older Drivers
People age 65 and older make up the fastest growing segment of drivers nationally and in Ohio. We know that older drivers are safer drivers, but due to increased fragility as they age, they are more likely to be severely injured or killed in a crash.
The Strategic Highway Safety Plan’s (SHSP) Older Road User Emphasis Area, chaired by AAA, is working to reduce the number of serious injury and fatal crashes among drivers age 65 and older.
A five-year Older Road User Action Plan focuses on: infrastructure, alternative transportation, medically at-risk drivers and education.
showcases the plan’s work and provides free resources for older drivers, their family members and caregivers, law enforcement and traffic safety advocates.
Highlights include:
A downloadable copy of the state’s “Stay Fit to Drive” handout;
An older driver safety assessment checklist
The Safe Routes to Age in Place report and Toolkit to assist communities in thinking about transportation options for older populations;
Driver Orientation Screen for Cognitive Impairment (DOSCI) video and quick handout card for law enforcement to use to identify cognitively-impaired drivers;
A link to the CarFit website, which is a program to help older drivers find the safest fit in their vehicle;
And much more
In addition to these online resources, printed versions of many of these materials are available to law enforcement agencies, Safe Communities programs and others.
Request Stay Fit to Drive materials by sending an email to: Caraline Griffith, PE caraline.griffith@dot.ohio.gov - ODOT Office of Program Management. Please include your full mailing address along with "Stay Fit to Drive" in the subject line. There are no costs to request these materials. Stay Fit to Drive booklets and Stay Fit to Drive Safe Older Driver Safety Self-Assessmentchecklists are available in packs of 50.
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.
