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Year-to-Date Confirmed Traffic Fatalities, Current versus 2023 Traffic Fatalities
 FATAL CRASHES 2024 YEAR TO DATE MAP can be found here.
OSTATS CRASH DASHBOARD can be found here.
 (COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Winter weather can make for dangerous driving conditions across Ohio, whether it’s snow, sleet or ice covering the roadways. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) believes all crashes can be prevented through proper training and awareness.
- Last winter (Dec. 2022 – March 2023), there were 10,256 crashes in Ohio on snow, ice or slush covered roads.
- 20 of those crashes resulted in 26 fatalities.
- 22% of those crashes were caused by unsafe speed, 20% were caused by driving off the road, and 14% were caused by following too close.
New teen drivers often lack the skills and experience necessary to drive safely in snow and ice. They can gain these skills through one of Ohio’s Advanced Driver Training programs. This hands-on instruction allows students to practice skid recovery, anti-lock braking system (ABS) exercises and other crash avoidance techniques with a licensed instructor on a closed course. Ohio has five schools for advanced driver training in five different counties. OTSO is promoting these programs with a new video and web page dedicated to Advanced Driver Training.
VIDEO: Learn More About Advanced Driver Training in Ohio
When snow and ice are on the roads, drivers should follow these tips to help avoid a crash:
- Slow down and increase the distance between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you.
- Accelerate and stop gradually.
- Do not use cruise control and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
- If you find yourself sliding, steer in the direction of the skid and simply let your foot off the gas. Do not apply the brakes.
Avoid risky driving behaviors year-round:
- Never text or drive distracted.
- Obey posted speed limits.
- Always drive sober and wear your seat belt.
Course Registration Opens January 23
Ohioans who wish to learn what it takes to ride a motorcycle safely and responsibly can sign up online for rider courses beginning Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 9 am. The state’s motorcycle safety and education program, Motorcycle Ohio, trains about 11,000 students a year with courses beginning as early as March and running through mid-November. Education for riders is one of the keys to making our roadways safer for all drivers.
- Since 2019, there have been 1,031 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in Ohio.
- An average of 87% of motorcycle fatalities involved riders who were untrained.
- An unendorsed rider was involved in an average 56% of those crashes.
The Motorcycle Ohio program, offered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, provides different levels of motorcycle safety courses for riders based on their skill levels and objectives. Funded by motorcycle plate fees and class registrations, Motorcycle Ohio strives to provide affordable, effective education programs at just $75 per course that includes the cost of student workbooks. Students must have a validated motorcycle temporary permit before the first riding session. Upon successful completion of any course, the student will earn a 60-day Bureau of Motor Vehicles skill test waiver for a motorcycle license or endorsement.
The types of courses include:
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Basic Rider Skills (BRS): recommended for novice riders. During this 16-hour course, students will participate in four hours of classroom, and 12 hours of on-cycle training covering topics such as cornering, braking, swerving, and traffic interaction. No experience is required, and Motorcycle Ohio provides the motorcycles and helmets.
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Returning Riders (BRS-RR): recommended for intermediate riders. This eight-hour course is designed for riders 18 and older who have been riding with a two-wheel temporary permit for more than one year, or a two-wheeled experienced rider returning after an extended time away. Students will participate in two hours of classroom instruction, take an on-cycle evaluation to assess their skill level, and then complete six hours of on-cycle training.
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Basic Rider Skills 2 (BRS-2): recommended for riders looking for a refresher course or to bond with a new motorcycle. During this seven-hour course, students will participate in on-cycle training without a formal classroom setting while using their own street legal two-wheeled motorcycle.
Motorcycle Ohio courses are being taught at 32 training sites around Ohio. To find out more about how to prepare for a course and enroll, please visit motorcycle.ohio.gov.
Information for riders interested in becoming an instructor:
Motorcycle Ohio is scheduling 1-hour in-person information sessions that are open to all riders interested in becoming a Motorcycle Ohio instructor. Space is limited, and there is a wait list once the session is full.
- January 30 - Delaware
- January 30 - Lima
- January 31 - Parma
- January 31 - Portsmouth
- February 1 - Cincinnati
Click HERE for more information and to reserve a spot at one of five sessions.
 National Passenger Safety Week
January 20-27, 2024
This upcoming campaign provides an opportunity to highlight how everyone – not just drivers – can play a big role in safer roads. National Passenger Safety Week is supported by the National Road Safety Foundation, SADD, We Save Lives, GHSA and many others, highlighting the need to educate and empower passengers to speak up when confronted with a reckless driver. A core element of the Safe System approach is “safer people,” and enabling passengers to advocate for safe driving fits perfect with that concept.
The National Passenger Safety Week website has a number of resources, including social media graphics, a Courage to Intervene Promise that passengers can sign, tools for parents and teens, and much more.
Join the Ohio Quick Click Challenge!
What is the Quick Click Challenge? It is a fun and interactive way to raise awareness about seat belt usage. Seat belts save lives and are an important tool in traffic safety. Ohio DPS Director Andy Wilson participated in the challenge with students and a school resource officer from Northwestern High School. Watch the first video here.
Then, the Director and DPS senior staff members Karen Huey, Ben Suver, and Dan Fitzpatrick did the Challenge, where their best time was 40.82 seconds.
Senior Staff of The Ohio State Highway Patrol took on the challenge in one of their new Dodge Durango cruisers in just 36 seconds!
The current fastest time in Ohio belongs to Tecumseh Local Schools in Clark County. Deputy Loney, the district's Director of Safety and two High School students recorded a time of 35.62 seconds!
OTSO staff completed the challenge with a time of 48:01! Can you beat our time?
Thank you to our partners at the Ohio Department of Health, ONIC, Ohio EPA, ODOT, Henry County Safe Communities and Defiance County Safe Communities for taking on the challenge and spreading the word that seat belts save lives!
 To complete the challenge, get four team members together and take a video of your team doing the exercise. Then share your video on social media and tag @ohiodps (Instagram) and @ohtrafficsafety (Facebook). You can also use the tag #OhioQuickClickChallenge.
- For safety, all doors must remain OPEN at all times.
- Participants begin UNBUCKLED in first seating position.
- Time begins at first whistle, when participants will buckle their seat belts and raise BOTH hands in the air.
- After every safety belt is buckled, team members raise BOTH hands into the air.
- The monitor will watch and blow the whistle when all four players are buckled up with hands raised.
- Each person will unbuckle, EXIT the vehicle and move to the next seat (in a clockwise rotation).
The action is repeated four times, so that each person sits once in each seat — again, always moving CLOCKWISE. The timer is stopped after each participant completes the full rotation through each seat.
Whether your team wins or not, promoting seat belt usage is a huge win for traffic safety in Ohio! Thank you and good luck!
   
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  Super Bowl Impaired Driving Prevention Campaign
February 11, 2024
Each year, the Super Bowl attracts millions of viewers, with many taking the opportunity to cheer on their favored team with a night out or by attending a party. To help keep us all safe on the roads, NHTSA is teaming up with State and local highway traffic safety advocates to remind all football fans that:
- Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk
If your night involves alcohol outside your home, plan for a sober ride home. If you’re hosting a party, take care of your guests.
Click here and get your campaign earned media materials now. 2024 social media campaign graphics coming soon.
On behalf of the NHTSA team, thank you for your proactive support in decreasing impaired driving and saving lives.
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Save the Date: First Annual Ohio Traffic Safety Summit
May 20 & 21, 2024
Are you interested in being a sponsor for this event?
Please e-mail trafficsafety@dps.ohio.gov to find out how to get involved!
Follow TrafficWise & OTSO social media for more details and announcements!
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Winter Legislative & Technology Conference
- National Sheriffs' Association
- Join high-level leadership from federal agencies, members of Congress, and very active sheriffs who come together to explore current legislation, learn about relevant topics, and explore trending technologies and products. (Washington, D.C.).
- February 3-6, 2024
- https://nsawinter.org/
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Lifesavers 2024 Conference
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TRAFFIC SAFETY RESOURCE PROSECUTORS
VIDEO TRAINING SERIES
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COMBATING ALCOHOL AND DRUG - IMPAIRED DRIVING (IIHS), to view this video click here.
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TO MEET THE TSRP'S AND LEARN WHAT TRAINING IS AVAILABLE TO LAW ENFORMCEMENT AND PROSECUTORS, click here.
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OHIO INTOXILYZER 8000 FOR PROSECUTORS - to view click here.
WEBINAR SERIES
*The following webinars are approved by the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Continuing Legal Education for 1.5 CLE credit hours for prosecutors*
You must virtually attend the live webinar for CLE credit.
Please email your bar number to Holly Reese (hreesetsrp@gmail.com) at the conclusion of the webinar to have it submitted to the Supreme Court.
JANUARY 2024 TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
Title: How Do We Prove It? A Case Study of DUI Investigation & Conviction after Narcan (Ohio Bar Approval for 1.5-hr CLE General Credit)
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern
Presenter: Nathaniel Grimm - Officer, Drug Recognition Expert Instructor, Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department
Description: In early 2020, a Lincoln Police Officer responded to a call of an unconscious driver, who fire and medical personnel ultimately revived with Naloxone. The officer requested the assistance of a Drug Recognition Expert, and despite the driver now being sober, officers were able to establish probable cause to cite the driver for DUI. Through cooperation between the officers and the County Attorney's office, many defense challenges were overcome and a conviction was obtained at a jury trial in a case where the evidence of impairment was little more than "Narcan worked."
Click here for more information and to register online.
 Slowing the speed of vehicles remains one of the most effective strategies to preventing deaths and serious injuries on our roadways. Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) and other vehicle technologies have the potential to limit speeding – particularly in high-risk groups – but only if we take action to adopt this lifesaving technology.
Join our next Road to Zero webinar on Jan. 23, 2024, and get:
- The latest recommendations from a new Road to Zero report on increasing ISA adoption
- An in-depth overview of ISA technology
- Insights from expert speakers representing IIHS, Families for Safe Streets and New York City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services
Click here to register online.
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 upcoming classes and to register, click here.
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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 and how to apply for this free training, please view the DRE Application, School Information and Requirements by clicking here.
Upcoming training dates:
- Jan. 22 - Feb. 1, 2024 (OSHP Academy)
- Feb. 19 - 25, 2024 (Field certifications out of state)
- Oct. 21 - 31, 2024 (OSHP Academy)
- Nov. 6 - 12, 2024 (Field certifications out of state)
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 Safe Kids Worldwide is a global nonprofit dedicated to protecting kids from preventable injuries, the number one cause of death to children in the United States and a global epidemic around the world.
Safe Kids works with more than 400 network members in the U.S. and partners in 33 countries to keep kids safe at home, on the road and at play. Their goal is to educate families, raise awareness, create safer environments and advocate for improved laws to protect children.
Safe Kids Ohio is a coalition working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Most people are surprised to learn preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable.
Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 13 coalitions across Ohio.
Safe Kids Ohio is led by Akron Children's Hospital, which provides dedicated and caring staff, operation support and other resources to assist in achieving our common goal: keeping your kids safe. Based on the needs of the community, this coalition implements evidence-based programs, such as car-seat checkups, and safety workshops, that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries.
"Losing one child is one too many, and we don't want any parent to have to endure the loss of a child," said Heather Trnka, Injury Prevention Coalition Supervisor at Akron Children's Hospital. "We're calling on everyone to come together, to raise awareness and to get involved. Saving lives is a decision we can all make every day. Reach out to a coalition near you to become involved."
Click here for more information: Safe Kids Ohio | Safe Kids Worldwide
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OTSO offers materials for numerous traffic safety campaigns, including impaired driving, restraint usage, distracted driving, speeding and motorcycles. Utilizing these free materials can make an impact that can reach beyond your community. By raising public awareness YOU can help save lives. The order form can be found by clicking HERE.
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Crash Data Bulletins:
In partnership with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, OTSO will biannually publish 88 county-specific driver training bulletins. This tool was designed for driver training schools to help educate young drivers on local-level driving trends, dangerous roads and intersections, and seatbelt usage. But they are publicly available for use by parents, teachers, and other traffic safety partners to display and share at community events to promote traffic safety and better inform all drivers about crash risks in the areas they drive every day.
The new fall 2023 data sheets for every county in Ohio are now available for download HERE.
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