Teen Driver Safety Week October 19-25

Dover – Has your teen driver ever rolled their eyes and responded “Yes, I know that” when you are trying to coach them behind the wheel? We know they do not know everything but part of your job as parents and caregivers is to ensure they learn everything about how to be a responsible and safe driver.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 14-18 year olds in the U.S. In fact, almost half of the teen drivers involved in a crash die. Yet, a recent survey shows that only 25% of parents have had a serious talk with their kids about the key components of driving. During Teen Driver Safety Week, parents and caregivers of teen drivers are encouraged to have a conversation with their teen drivers and set rules about the responsibility of having the car keys before they hit the road.

In June of 2012, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety coordinated a technical assessment and evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the Delaware driver education program. The assessment report has contributed to the State’s efforts to enhance the effectiveness of its driver’s education program in preventing injuries, saving lives and reducing economic costs of young novice driver motor vehicle crashes on Delaware’s roadways. As a result, the Delaware Teen Driver Task Force was re-established in 2013. One of the goals for the task force is to promote education of teen drivers and their parents about safe driving skills, training, and the consequences if ignored. Members of the task force include the Office of Highway Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Education, Delaware Driver Safety Education Association, Delaware State Police, and SmartDrive.

Members of the task force have developed or have provided several resources for parents and teens to encourage a dialog of safe driving and rules of the road. These resources are available year round and are being highlighted during Teen Driver Safety Week.

• The Office of Highway Safety created a Graduated Driver’s License Parent Orientation Program to educate parents of teen drivers about their responsibilities under the GDL law. http://www.ohs.delaware.gov/OHSGDL/story.html

• The DMV coordinated the Parent Supervised Driving Program and RoadReady app for parents and teens. This year theme is It Takes Two: Shared Expectations for Teens and Parents for Driving. The topic is aligned with the program’s effort to help motivate parents to expand their participation in the supervised driving process. http://www.theparentssuperviseddrivingprogram.com/states/de.html

• The Delaware Driver and Safety Education Association (DDSEA) is encouraging Delaware high schools to participate in Celebrate My Drive, powered by State Farm Insurance. The program brings added awareness to teen driver safety during National Teen Driver Safety Week. In addition, it offers participating schools the chance to compete for grant money ranging from $25,000-$100,000 by having their schools and communities vote online in recognition of the importance of keeping 2 eyes on the road and 2 hands on the wheel when driving. www.celebratemydrive.com/home

• The SmartDrive Foundation is conducting in school education programs such as their Driving With Intention program, PROMise program and Distraction & Reaction program. Each program is designed to educate young drivers to make the right decisions every time they are behind the wheel so they will never put anyone in harm’s way. www.smartdriveusa.org

• A subcommittee was created to update the driver’s education curriculum in Delaware high schools. The curriculum is being updated to meet the National Content Standards for driver’s education curriculum, meet the Common Core State Standards initiative and to include new traffic laws. The new curriculum will ensure continuity, measurement, and accountability for educators and novice teen drivers learning in Delaware.

For more information about teen driving visit www.safercar.gov/parents, www.ohs.delaware.gov, http://www.dmv.de.gov/services/driver_services/teen/index.shtml.

Dover – With summer over and school back in session, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is reminding motorists to drive safe this fall and save a life by buckling up and slowing down on Delaware roadways. The campaign will include high-visibility enforcement and awareness initiatives aimed at reducing traffic deaths through speed and seat belt enforcement from October 3^rd – 26^th and November 26^th – December 31^st.

Since January 1^st of this year there have been 98 traffic fatalities in Delaware. Sixty five (65) were vehicle occupants of which 43% were not wearing a seat belt. In 2013, 40% of the unbelted crashes happened on a Saturday or Sunday. Saturday is also the most common day for speed related fatal crashes and Friday has the highest number of speed related injury crashes.

Public outreach and education activities will accompany the high-visibility enforcement activities. A digital paid media buy will spread the message on various website, including Pandora radio, with banner and audio ads. Messages will be placed on variable message boards throughout the state through a partnership with DelDOT to remind motorists to buckle up and slow down. OHS will also launch a contest tomorrow (Oct 9^th) on the OHS Facebook page www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE to engage the public about buckling up and slowing down. There will be one puzzle a week during October and December with weekly prizes.

Delaware State Police in all three counties, along with law enforcement from the Delaware River and Bay Authority, Dover PD, Middletown PD, Milford PD, New Castle City PD, New Castle County PD, Newark PD, Newport PD, Seaford PD, Smyrna PD, and Wilmington PD will be conducting enforcement patrols throughout the campaign. Police are being asked to focus on unrestrained occupants, improperly restraint occupants in vehicles, and speeding drivers. Examples of improperly worn seat belts are those that are put behind the back or under the arm. For a seat belt to be effective and save a life, it must be worn properly with the lap belt low and snug across the hips and the shoulder harness worn across the shoulder and chest with minimal slack.

For more information on any OHS campaign visit www.ohs.delaware.gov, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE or follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe.

Did you know that 4 out of every 5 car seats are not installed properly? For caregivers, it’s not always easy to know how to correctly secure a child in a car seat, or how to fit the seat into the car. That’s why Delaware is joining the rest of the nation to promote awareness during National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 14-20.

What you need to know

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old. Many times deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shares these facts:

• Every 34 seconds one child, under age 13, is involved in a crash.
• In 2012, over one third (37%) of children killed in car crashes were not in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts.
• 1/3 of kids aged 8-14 killed in crashes were riding in the front seat. All children under age 13 should ride in the back seat.

What you can do

To celebrate Child Passenger Safety Week, OHS is offering two opportunities statewide for families to get their car seats checked for free. Both are free and open to the public with no appointment needed. During these events, certified technicians will check your car seat and distribute important information on child passenger safety including tip sheets, how to register your car seat, and where to find car seat fitting stations.  Plus, Buckle Bear will be in attendance for the kids.

• Friday, Sept. 19, 2014 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm @ Christiana Care Hospital Maternity Department.
• Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm @ Dover DMV.

Fitting stations are conveniently located statewide and staffed by certified child passenger safety technicians who will inspect the car seat for correct installation and show you how to properly position your child in the seat.  To learn more, please go to www.safercar.gov

Buckle Up. Arrive Alive DE.

Child Passenger Safety Week September 14^th-20^th

Dover – It’s not always easy to know how to correctly secure children in car seats in all types of vehicles. Three out of 4 parents in Delaware do not install their child’s car seat properly. So Delaware and the rest of the nation recognize National Child Passenger Safety Week September 14-20 to promote the correct and consistent use of child safety seats. Children using incorrectly installed car seats face dramatically increased rates of death and injury in the event of a crash.

OHS and Bucklebear will be distributing important information in the community on child passenger safety including tip sheets, how to register your car seat, and where to find car seat fitting stations. Fitting stations are conveniently located statewide and staffed by certified child passenger safety technicians who will inspect the car seat for correct installation and show you how to properly position your child in the seat. Call for an appointment at one of these locations.

Wilmington                                             DMV Dover DMV                                                 DSP Troop 7
2230 Hessler Blvd                                 303 Transportation Cir.                                      18006 Coastal Hwy, Lewes
302.434.3234                                        302.744.2749                                                       302.744.2749
Tuesday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm                 Tuesday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm                               302.387.2324
Wednesday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm           Wednesday 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm                         By appointment only
Thursday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

OHS is also offering other opportunities statewide for families to get their car seats checked for free at the following locations:

Friday Sept. 19, 2014 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Christiana Care Hospital- Maternity Department
4755 Ogletown-Stanton Rd, Newark
Open to the public, no appointment necessary

Saturday Sept. 20, 2014 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dover DMV
303 Transportation Circle
302.744.2749
No appointment necessary

There are 4 steps for child safety as they grow; rear facing, forward facing, booster seat use, and seat belt use. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends parents to keep their children in rear facing car seats until the age of 2. Delaware law sets a minimum standard that gives parents flexibility to meet the new best practice recommendation set by the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Delaware law simply requires a child to be “properly secured according to manufacturer’s instructions” in a child safety seat “that is appropriate for the child’s age/weight and height” up to age 8 or 65 lbs in weight, whichever comes first. Ages 8 – 16 must be secured in a seat belt.

OHS is encouraging parents to follow the wording in the NHTSA guidelines which were also updated to closely mirror the new recommendations by the AAP, but may be easier for parents to understand and follow. These guidelines recommend that parents keep their 1 – 3 year olds “rear facing as long as possible”, and focus more attention on obeying the manufactures weight and height limits on individual seats using age as a broad guide for rear facing vs. forward facing instead.

Parents who would like to learn more about the 4 steps for child safety and to find the times and dates of car seat check locations can visit OHS website at http://www.ohs.delaware.gov/carseat, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe, or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.

Dover –The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) along with state and local law enforcement are reminding motorists and motorcyclists alike to See & Be Seen during Delmarva Bike Week.  From September 11^th to 15^th, law enforcement across the state will be patrolling high crash roadways ensuring that both motorists and motorcyclists are riding and driving safe and sharing the road.  Motorists are reminded to look twice for motorcyclists before pulling out from an intersection or cross roads and motorcyclists are reminded that they need to comply with the state’s motorcycle safety laws including having the proper motorcycle endorsement on their license.

Agencies participating in the increased enforcement include Bethany Beach PD, Dewey Beach PD, Dover PD, Fenwick Island PD, Georgetown PD, Lewes PD, Milford PD, Milton PD, New Castle County PD, Newark PD, Rehoboth Beach PD, and DSP.

To date Delaware has experienced 15 motorcycle fatalities compared to 14 at this time last year.

Tips for drivers on how to prevent a fatal crash with a motorcycle;

• Though a motorcycle is a small vehicle, its operator still has all the rights of the road as any other motorist. Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.
• Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
• If you see a motorcycle with a signal on, be careful: motorcycle signals are often non-canceling and could have been forgotten. Always ensure that the motorcycle is turning before proceeding.
• Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.
• Always allow more following distance – three to four seconds – when behind a motorcycle. This gives them more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
• Never drive distracted or impaired.

Motorcyclists can increase their safety by following these steps:

• Wear a DOT-compliant helmet and other protective gear.
• Obey all traffic laws and be properly licensed.
• Use hand and turn signals at every lane change or turn.
• Wear brightly colored clothes and reflective tape to increase visibility.
• Ride in the middle of the lane where you will be more visible to drivers.
• Never ride distracted or impaired.

For more information visit www.MotorcycleSafetyDE.org and follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe and Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.