  Fourth of July Impaired Driving Prevention
- June 30 - July 6: Fourth of July Campaign
- July 4: Fourth of July
Join NHTSA's safety initiative to educate the public about the importance of sober driving during the Independence Day holiday. NHTSA’s national "Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving" drunk-driving prevention campaign urges drivers to understand the importance of sober driving, and to help get drunk drivers off the road.
Campaign assets include social media graphics, talking points, and a sample news release that encourages people to not get behind the wheel this after drinking 4th of July and to plan for a safe, sober ride home. Materials are also available to address drug-impaired driving.
Get NHTSA Materials Here
 Speeding Catches Up With You
- July 7–31, 2025: National paid media buy
Speeding Catches Up With You is a year-round social norming campaign that focuses on speed prevention. NHTSA provides resources to encourage drivers to drive at the speed limit and to educate people about the dangers of going too fast, including information related to speed and road conditions. Many assets are available in English and Spanish.
Talking Points, Sample News Release, & Social Media Playbook available now!
Get NHTSA Materials here
Speeding Slows You Down
- July 7–31, 2025: Certain areas may consider running this enforcement campaign if high-visibility enforcement is planned.
Speeding Slows You Down is a high-visibility enforcement mobilization campaign that focuses specifically on the consequences of speeding while urging drivers to slow down. Materials created for this campaign highlights law enforcement’s goal of stopping speeding and helps spread awareness about the increased law enforcement presence on the nation’s roads during this period.
Talking Points, Sample News Release, & Social Media Playbook available now!
Get NHTSA Mobilization materials here
- May 1, 2025 - Sep. 30, 2025
Heatstroke is one of the leading causes of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. Sadly, 1,010 children have died from heatstroke in a hot car since 1998.
Nearly every state in the United States has been affected by a pediatric vehicular heatstroke death. NHTSA offers campaign material to help educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of hot cars, including children getting trapped in an unlocked vehicle, being forgotten or mistakenly left, or purposely left. Material also includes safety information for bystanders to safely remove a child from a hot car.
This tragedy is 100% preventable. Help us spread the word.
Click here for campaign materials.
Order flyers from OTSO to help support NHTSA's vehicular heatstroke prevention campaign.
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OTS1020 Accidental Heatstroke Flyer: Use this new flyer to help raise awareness to parents and caregivers in your community. This one-sided full-page flyer includes prevention tips and an optional cutout for a hang tag reminder from a vehicle's rear-view mirror.
Available now on OTSO's Online Materials Order Form
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 Cannabis Impairment Training Available for Law Enforcement
Attitudes about using marijuana have shifted in Ohio in recent years. Now that adult use non-medical marijuana is allowed under state law, there are more opportunities than ever for Ohioans to access and use cannabis. Today's forms (including edibles, flower, and concentrates) have a much higher level of THC than in the past, and law enforcement can benefit greatly from advanced training to help recognize its presence in drivers.
Advanced Cannabis Impairment Training (ACIT) is an 8-hour course that is designed to train law enforcement officers to observe, identify, and articulate the indicators of impairment related to cannabis. With the goal to reduce impaired driving incidents and crashes, participants will engage in classroom and practical instruction by Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Instructors.
Participants must be a commissioned law enforcement officer or have attended ARIDE. Trainings will be held on the following dates:
- June 18 (FULL)
- September 4 (FULL)
- Check back for more training dates coming soon
All trainings are held at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus. Advance Registration is required.
JUNE 2025 TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
Title: Over-the-Counter Drugs in Drugged-Driving Investigations (Ohio Bar Approval for 1.5-hr CLE Credit)
Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern
Presenter: Jolene J. Bierly, MSFS, D-ABFT-FT Forensic Toxicologist NMS Labs, Maggie Nunley, DRE Instructor Regional DUI Program Administrator Region 5 Pennsylvania DUI Association
Description: While the impairing effects of ethanol are publicly acknowledged, the hazards of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are less understood. This presentation will outline the pharmacology and effects of common OTC medications, including first-generation antihistamines and dextromethorphan.
CLICK HERE for more information and the registration link.
JULY 2025 TRAFFIC TUESDAY WEBINAR
Title: Navigating the High-Ways of Poly-Drugged Driving: A Growing Challenge to Roadway Safety (Ohio Bar Approval for 1.5-hr CLE Credit)
Date: Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Time: 2:00p-3:30p Eastern
Presenter: Chuck Hayes, International Assoc. of Chiefs of Police (Retired)
Description: Experts agree that the DUID landscape has changed dramatically, and drivers impaired by one single drug are not as prevalent today as in the past. Today's DUID "norm" is poly-drug or poly-substance use, with drivers often impaired by two or more drugs, or drugs used in combination with alcohol. This alarming trend is making roadside detection, arrests, toxicology analyses, and prosecution difficult, and has a dangerous impact on roadways. This workshop will address the current and evolving trends of poly-drugged driving and focus on how police can use their training to identify and take appropriate action when encountering a suspected poly-drug driver.
CLICK HERE for more information and the registration link.
NSA 2025 Annual Conference
- National Sheriffs' Association
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- June 23-26, 2025
- One of the premier law enforcement conferences in the nation with training sessions, seminars, exhibits, and more.
- Annual Conference 2025
IACP Impaired Driving and Traffic Safety (IDTS) Conference
NOBLE 49th Annual Training Conference
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:
- Oct. 20 - 30 at OSHP Academy
- Nov. 5 - 11 Field Certifications out of state
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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.
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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 Courses Sponsored by the DRE Program:
To register, please e-mail the corresponding e-mail address for the course.
 Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the launch of a new media campaign to encourage parents to spend quality time practicing safe driving skills with their new teen drivers.
The campaign, produced by the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), draws parallels between the amount of time teens spend learning to drive and time devoted to practicing other activities like soccer and ballet.
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"Teens spend a significant amount of time practicing extracurriculars, and parents should set the expectation that their kids put that same amount of effort into learning to drive," said Governor DeWine. "It's equally important that parents commit to putting in the hours, too, because the lessons young drivers learn from the adults in their lives will shape their driving habits for the future. While mastering any skill takes time and dedication, the stakes are incredibly high when learning to drive."
Although Ohio law requires teens to complete 50 hours of driving practice with a parent or legal guardian before receiving a probationary license, OTSO believes the actual time many teens spend practicing with their parents is much lower.
“Research shows that many families do not understand the dangers that teen drivers face, or how to appropriately guide a new teen driver,” said Emily Davidson, director of the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. “This new awareness campaign combined with our other online resources are designed to empower parents with the tools and confidence they need to coach teens through one of life’s important milestones – learning to drive safely and responsibly.”
The new campaign directs families to the recently redesigned TeachYourTeenToDrive.ohio.gov, where they will find a variety of resources to help teens through the licensing process. The campaign launch aligns with the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers – the time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day that is known for a spike in teen traffic fatalities.
According to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, there were 97 teen-involved fatal crashes throughout the entirety of 2024:
- Nearly 70% were the fault of the teen driver.
- Of those drivers, 49% had their driver's license a year or less
- 34% received no driver education.
More detailed crash statistics are available on OTSO's new Teen Crash Dashboard, which was designed to help raise awareness about the risks teen drivers face when they are behind the wheel.
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State officials encourage families to spend more time behind the wheel with teen drivers – WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio
Other helpful resources on the Teach Your Teen to Drive website include:
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Parent Orientation: A new, free online course aimed at equipping parents with the knowledge they need to successfully navigate the learning-to-drive process.
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Teen Driver Roadmap: An interactive page that aims to guide families through the three phases of licensure; Temporary Permit, Probationary License, and Full Licensure.
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Featured Videos: A new parent campaign video, and existing driver education videos aimed at teens, including OTSO’s Emmy Award-winning Distracted Driving video.
Later this summer, OTSO will also launch a new mobile app that will help direct families through the 50 required practice driving hours with guided lessons, driving tips, and a tool to track driving hours. Information on the app will also be linked on the Teach Your Teen to Drive website, when it becomes available.
 
Fast Facts
Help inform your community about local-level driving trends, dangerous roads and intersections, and seat belt usage statistics.
This educational tool is available publicly for driving instructors, Safe Communities, employers, and law enforcement to use for presentations and to display at events. Parents of teen drivers may also find them useful for the required 50 hours of in-car practice.
"Fast Facts" are updated every 6 months with the latest crash data, timely safety talking points, stories of real crashes. The handouts for all 88 counties in Ohio are available HERE.
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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.
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!
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