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January 21, 2025

Year-to-Date Confirmed Fatalities, Current vs 2024 Fatalities

FATAL CRASHES 2025 MAP can be found here.

OSTATS CRASH DASHBOARD can be found here.

Course Registration Opens Jan. 23rd

Ohioans who wish to learn what it takes to ride a motorcycle safely and responsibly can sign up online for rider courses beginning Thursday, Jan. 23 at 9 am. Last year, the state’s motorcycle safety and education program, Motorcycle Ohio, trained over 11,000 students. Courses begin as early as March and run through mid-November. Education for riders is one of the keys to making our roadways safer for all drivers.

• Since 2020, 1,022 motorcyclists have been killed in crashes on Ohio’s roadways.
• An average of 81% of motorcycle fatalities involved riders who were untrained.

The Motorcycle Ohio program, offered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, strives to provide affordable, effective education programs at just $75 per course. Motorcycle Ohio provides different levels of safety courses for riders based on their skill levels and objectives. The types of courses include:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Advanced Rider Skills (ARS): New in 2025, registration coming soon - recommended for experienced riders who already have a strong understanding of the basic skills. During this one-day course, students will use their personal motorcycle to improve their cornering and stopping techniques. Courses are expected to begin at select training sites in late 2025.

Students must have a validated motorcycle temporary permit before the first riding session. The state is now making it easier to get a motorcycle permit by offering the knowledge test as part of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) online services. In order to take the motorcycle knowledge test online, you must be 18 years old and already have an active Ohio Class D driver’s license or CDL. Upon successful completion of any course, the student will earn a 60-day BMV skill test waiver for a motorcycle license or endorsement.

Any person operating a motorcycle on public roadways in Ohio must hold a valid motorcycle permit, motorcycle-only license, or endorsement. A permit is valid for one year and riders must comply with all permit restrictions including: riding during daylight hours only, always wearing a helmet and eye protection, no passengers, and no riding on limited access highways or heavily congested roadways.

Motorcycle Ohio courses are being taught at 36 training sites around Ohio. To find out more about how to prepare for a course and enroll, please visit motorcycle.ohio.gov.

Last Day to nominate your peers for the Ohio Traffic Safety Awards

OTSO wants to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to advance traffic safety in Ohio. We are seeking nominations for our 2025 award categories:

• Traffic Safety Service Award
• Traffic Safety Leadership Award

Nominations must be submitted by midnight on Tuesday, January 21!

CLICK HERE to submit an award nomination.

Winners will be announced in May at the 2025 Ohio Traffic Safety Summit! The full Summit schedule and registration information is expected to be available in early February. Registration is FREE! Please join us in Columbus for: More than 20 workshops, including keynotes, and panel discussions! Connect & collaborate with Federal, State, and Local Partners! Exhibitors from across the nation! Explore current trends on seat belt use, distracted driving, media coverage, youthful drivers, law enforcement, pedestrian safety & more! Bookmark and share the official Summit webpage: Ohio Traffic Safety Summit 2025 - Ohio Union at OSU

Get Trained to Present "Shifting Gears" to Teens in Your Community

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) is partnering with AAA Northeast and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to implement a program to educate high school students about the risks of underage cannabis/marijuana use while driving. “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth About Marijuana & Driving” uses science-based information to explain the physical and cognitive processes that are affected by cannabis and how those effects can impact the ability to drive safely.

Agencies and organizations that are interested in presenting “Shifting Gears” to classes of high school students must first complete a mandatory training session. Spots are still available for three remaining sessions:

• January 28 - Columbus
• February 11 - Liberty Township
• February 18 - Marietta

CLICK HERE to register for one of these free training sessions

OTSO will reimburse public agencies and applicable non-profits $200 per class/presentation. Current Federal grant recipients must first contact their OTSO planner to confirm reimbursement eligibility and requirements through their federal grant.

More details on reimbursement can be found here: Shifting Gears Reimbursement Form | Ohio Traffic Safety Office

Call for Entries: PSA Video Contest for Teens The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) has teamed up with the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA) for its annual Drive2Life PSA Contest. The focus of this year's message is sharing the road with other cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, and pedestrians.  Students ages 13-19 are encouraged to enter the 2025 Drive2Life PSA Contest by writing a short script for a 30-second video message that will caution drivers to be aware of others sharing the road. One student Grand Prize winner will receive $2,000, an all-expense paid trip to NYC to produce their PSA script with an Emmy Award-winning producer. Plus, the winner and their PSA will be featured on Teen Kids News.  Two students will receive a cash prize of $500 each and will have their name, school, city, and state posted on the NRSF website. The teacher of each student winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card! The deadline to enter is March 21, 2025. Please share this announcement with schools and teachers/instructors to spread the word!

Super Bowl Buzzed Driving Prevention Material

• February 3 - February 9, 2025: Super Bowl Campaign
• February 9, 2025: Super Bowl 

Super Bowl parties are some of the most attended gatherings among friends and family, so keeping safety in mind is essential. NHTSA offers themed material that encourages people to plan ahead and designate a sober driver before the game starts. And, if someone is hosting a party, take care of guests. The message is simple: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Free assets are available in English and Spanish: Talking Points, Sample News Release, Social Media, and Graphics.

Get Material Now

St. Patrick's Day Buzzed Driving Prevention Material

• March 10-17:  St. Patrick's Day Campaign
• March 17: St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day 2025 celebrations will take place across the country on and around Monday, March 17. NHTSA urges drivers to remember that drinking and driving is deadly and never an option. Join NHTSA and OTSO in sharing this message: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

NHTSA offers themed material for St. Patrick’s Day that encourages people to not get behind the wheel after drinking and to plan for a safe, sober ride home.

Get Material Now

On behalf of the NHTSA team, thanks for your proactive support in saving lives on our highways.

Deadline Extended for Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants

Applications are still being accepted for the Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants, generously funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These grants fund 12-month projects that advance traffic safety under the pillars of Road to Zero: doubling down on what works through evidence-based strategies, advancing lifesaving technologies and championing a Safe System Approach that creates a positive safety culture. The deadline to apply is now January 21, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Click here for our grants website, including the link to the online application, eligibility guidelines, information about past awardees, and recordings of informational webinars held by RTZ and NHTSA.

Email roadtozero@nsc.org with additional questions.

This course is 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.

WHEN: February 4, 2025 (8:45 am- 6:00 pm)

WHERE: Ohio State Highway Patrol Training Academy, 740 E. 17^th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43211

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.  Funding is provided in part or solely by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

REGISTRATION: Email Holly Reese, Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor hreesetsrp@gmail.com by February 1, 2025. This course is free for prosecutors and law enforcement.

CLICK HERE for the course agenda and more details.

FEBRUARY 2025 TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR

Title: DRE and the IACP 2025: Updates & Enhancements (Ohio Bar Approval for 1.5-hr CLE General Credit)

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern

Presenters: Jim Maisano – National DEC Program Manager, IACP
Joe Abrusci, Project Manager – DECP Eastern Region, IACP

Description: This session is intended to provide an update on projects related to and affecting the Drug Recognition Expert program that are underway, as well as new offerings to help further ARIDE and DRE training.  Additionally, it will provide updates on recent and pending Frye/Daubert Hearings regarding the DRE program.  Finally, it will provide information on judicial and prosecutor training related to the DRE program.

CLICK HERE for more information and the registration link.

NSA 2025 Winter 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 1-4, 2025
• https://www.sheriffs.org/

Lifesavers 2025 Conference World's largest gathering of leaders and advocates in traffic safety. Long Beach, CA March 9-11, 2025 Early bird registration rate ends Jan.10 https://lifesavers25.eventscribe.net/

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). 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.
• 2025 ARIDE Training Dates:
  • Jan. 23 & 24 - Tiffin Police Dept.
  • Feb. 17 & 18 - Delaware Co. Sheriff's Office
  • Mar. 13 & 14 - OPOTA London Main Academy
  • Apr. 21 & 22 - Clark State College, Springfield
  • May 19 & 20 - Hocking College, Nelsonville

New courses are added regularly so please check back frequently for the latest listing of available courses. To register for a course, please visit the Ohio Attorney General In-Person Course Catalog and sign in to the OPOTA Portal.

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.  2025 DRE School Training Dates: Jan. 27 - Feb. 6 at OSHP Academy Feb. 17 - 23 Field Certifications out of state Oct. 20 - 30 at OSHP Academy Nov. 5 - 11 Field Certifications out of state

National Passenger Safety Week is January 20-27, 2025

U.S. roadway deaths are rising again at an alarming rate. People are still driving recklessly. Drunk, drugged and distracted driving are on the rise. Just telling people to drive safely isn’t enough. We need to do more. We can do more! Passengers need to play a more active role in their own safety and that of others.

That is why We Save Lives and the National Road Safety Foundation launched The National Passenger Safety Campaign, bringing together 60 other organizations that believe that it’s time to focus on the passenger, and not just the driver. The goal is to promote safe driving practices and prevent unsafe ones by empowering passengers to SPEAK UP when their lives are in danger due to a reckless driver.

In 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) added the campaign to their national calendar. National Passenger Safety Week is now an ongoing event, the last week in January of every year.

Passengers can make a difference.

One courageous voice can change one deadly choice!

Statistics show that in 2022: 14.4% of all roadway fatalities were passengers in passenger vehicles 56% of teen passenger deaths occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager 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.

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.  CLICK HERE to order online! Outdated forms sent via fax or e-mail will still be accepted, but this online link will be updated when new materials are added to our inventory. More items coming soon!

Crash Data Bulletins: 88 county-specific data bulletins have now been updated for fall 2024 and are available online. OTSO partners with the Ohio State Highway Patrol to update and publish the bulletins every 6 months. They were designed to be used in driving schools so instructors can adapt behind-the-wheel training to their local area. But they are also available publicly to help educate all drivers on local-level driving trends, dangerous roads and intersections, and seat belt usage.

Mission Statement: As a division within the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) is dedicated to saving lives and preventing injuries on Ohio’s roads by using creative leadership, innovative education and comprehensive enforcement programs. OTSO strives to work in partnership with local, state and federal entities to advance equity in highway safety programs, ensuring they benefit all road users in Ohio.

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