Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski was joined by representatives of the Delaware State Police and AAA Mid-Atlantic on Monday at the 95/896 interchange project to call attention to the importance of safe driving in our work zones across the state.

National Work Zone Awareness Week is held each April at the traditional start of construction season, when the number of workers on our nation’s roadways increases. The theme of this year’s work zone awareness campaign is, “Become a hero toward zero, their lives depend on it.” The campaign features DelDOT workers who put their lives on the line daily as they work within active traffic maintaining Delaware roads.

“Sadly, we have had 22 fatalities over the past three years involving the traveling public in work zones and there have been close calls with employees that have resulted in injuries,” said DelDOT Secretary Nicole Majeski. “We would like everyone to join the Be DelAWARE campaign to help us increase safety for everyone on our roads.”

Major Jason Sapp of the Delaware State Police added, “The Delaware State Police is committed to focused presence and when necessary, enforcement in work zones throughout the State of Delaware. Work zones are inherently dangerous locations not only for those working in them but also for those motorists and passengers attempting to navigate them. Just a little bit of extra attention is really all that is needed to recognize you are entering a work zone so that you can decelerate and take the appropriate steps to maximize safety through responsible driving behaviors.”

Although highway workers are often among the victims of such crashes, it’s important for drivers to understand that four out of five victims of work zone crashes are drivers or their passengers. Generally, crashes occur when drivers speed through a work zone or do not pay attention to the changing road conditions and run into other vehicles, highway equipment or safety barriers, or drive off the roadway completely. In a typical five-day work week, an average of seven motorists and one worker are killed nationwide. The primary causes of work zone crashes are following too closely and inattentive driving.

The National Work Zone Awareness Week began in 1999, when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) signed a Memorandum of Agreement pledging to increase public awareness of work zone safety issues through a national media campaign. Since then, awareness has continued to grow, with state agencies and other organizations sponsoring high-visibility education and outreach initiatives.

Some simple tips for improving work zone safety include:
* When you see the “orange and black,” be extra cautious.
* Warning signs will let you know what to expect.
* Barrels or cones will delineate your path of travel.
* Flag persons will help direct you along the way.
* Avoid distractions.
* Don’t tailgate.
* Don’t change lanes.
* Reduce speed when approaching toll booths.
* Slow down and expect the unexpected.

For complete Delaware work zone statistics check out the Delaware Strategic Highway Safety Plan at: https://deldot.gov/Programs/DSHSP/index.shtml?dc=work_zone_safety

The United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration has also developed a Work Zone Safety webpage highlighting the statistics for the frequency and severity work zone crashes:
FHWA Work Zone Facts and Statistics – FHWA Office of Operations (dot.gov)

As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, DelDOT is reminding the public to expect crowded roads as AAA projects more than 42 million people nationally will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend.

“Thousands of people will be visiting Delaware’s beaches and parks or traveling to see family and friends and we encourage everyone to put safety first whether traveling by car, bike, or on foot,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.

There have been 63 fatalities on Delaware roads to date this year, an increase of nearly 10 percent from the same time last year. In 2022, there were three fatalities on Delaware roads over Memorial Day weekend and more than 100 people were injured because of crashes.

The Delaware State Police will be actively enforcing traffic laws throughout the holiday weekend. Motorists should anticipate more traffic volume on the roads and buckle up, slow down, drive sober and attentively and be cautious for motorcycles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Motorcyclists and bicyclists should wear helmets and follow the rules of the road, and pedestrians should only cross roads at designated areas and wear reflective items if walking at night.

Travelers looking to take a break can visit the Biden Welcome Center on I-95 in Newark and the Chauncey O. Simpson Memorial Rest Area adjacent to Route 1 and Route 13 in Smyrna which will both be open to visitors.

At the Delaware Beaches, DART First State’s Beach Bus routes are now operating daily with increased frequencies, early morning to late night, through Sunday, Sept. 10. The routes serve Rehoboth Beach and the Rehoboth boardwalk, Lewes, Long Neck, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Ocean City, Md., Millsboro, and Georgetown. All buses are ADA-accessible and equipped with bike racks. Information on these the Beach Bus routes can be found here.

Delaware- In 2014 the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) initiated the “Drive to Save Lives” campaign to reduce deaths on U.S. highways. The campaign targeted distracted and impaired driving, speeding, the use of seatbelts and the unsafe driving behaviors of operators of large trucks and buses. A combination of education and awareness, partnering with other agencies, and high-visibility traffic enforcement were used to achieve the campaign goals. These successful efforts gave the IACP a desire to continue the campaign annually.

Delaware State Police have coordinated the “Drive to Save Lives” efforts at least once a year, specifically on Delaware’s portion of I-95 for the past several years. Working alongside DSP there are 14 other participating state police and highway patrol agencies that patrol portions of I-95. Over the past four years DSP has taken their campaign coordination efforts a step further. In 2017, DSP began requesting other Delaware law enforcement agencies having patrol-related duties to be included in the campaign. As a result, numerous agencies throughout the state have been participating in this campaign. This year is proving to become the greatest teamwork effort with at least 30 Delaware municipal agencies slated to participate in the April 9^th and 10^th campaign.

Delaware’s Office of Highway Safety has continued to be a supporter of the “Drive to Save Lives” campaign. All law enforcement agencies, along with the Office of Highway Safety, are looking forward to working together during April’s campaign. With the Office of Highway Safety’s assistance, Delaware’s participating law enforcement agencies are better able to supply personnel for these high-visibility patrols.

“The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is pleased to support the Delaware State Police and municipal agencies from across the state in the “Drive to Save Lives” initiative. This is an opportunity for Delaware to participate in a nationwide event, focusing on multiple highway safety priorities, using data-driven enforcement methods and education to decrease the high-risk behaviors of drivers. These partners are committed to decreasing fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways and it’s initiatives like this that can help us achieve that goal,” Sarah Cattie, Traffic Safety Program Manager, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

The Delaware State Police will be coordinating the I-95 effort, as well as the portion of the campaign that extends to other roadways throughout the state. DSP will be patrolling the state’s main corridors, while the municipal agencies will be patrolling their specific jurisdictions. The team of agencies will be highly motivated to perform traffic stops, educate operators, and issue citations. The ultimate goal is to provide education and enforcement that will lead to a decrease in the number of crashes throughout Delaware not only on April 9^th and 10^th, but into the future.

“The Delaware State Police are proud to partner with our allied agencies around the State in the 2021 Drive to Save Lives campaign.  While utilizing education and proactive enforcement strategies, Troopers will engage motorists each day with the intention to enhance driver safety and reduce fatal and serious injury collisions.   Along with our highway safety partners, we are dedicated to this nationwide effort and to our shared goals of keeping Delawareans and our visitors safe.”  Colonel Melissa Zebley, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police

 

 

 

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About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues, such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. Follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety on ArriveAliveDE.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Promotes National Child Passenger Safety Week from September 20 – 26, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:

Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist & Public Information Officer

Delaware Office of Highway Safety

Cynthia.Cavett@delaware.gov

302-744-2743

DOVER, Del. (September 21, 2020) – Child Passenger Safety Week is a nationwide campaign that spreads critical awareness and promotes all children being properly restrained in the correct car seat for their age, height, and weight. This year’s CPS Week will be held from September 20-26. Car crashes are a leading cause of death nationwide in children ages 1-13, which is why caregivers must choose and use the correct car seats for their children every time. It is estimated that across the nation in 2017, approximately 325 children under the age of 5 were saved by being properly restrained in the correct car seat. To help ensure your child is in the correct seat, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety offers every Delaware resident access to learning opportunities, free resources, and more through their child passenger safety fitting stations and fitting station coordinators. Fitting station staff is available by virtual appointment to provide free education on how to properly use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts based on the child’s age and size. Nationally in 2017, nearly 2 children under the age of 13 died every day because of a car crash. Our mission is to reduce that number as much as possible by providing free child passenger safety education to parents and caregivers.

“The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is committed to keeping Delawareans safe while traveling on our roads. When you take the time to schedule an appointment with one of our child passenger safety technicians, you can ensure that you have the necessary education to protect your child by keeping them properly restrained in the event of a crash,” Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

Virtual Webinar Series

As the COVID-19 pandemic has taken over our attention and priorities, Child Passenger Safety Week looks a little bit different this year. Car crashes haven’t stopped just because there is a pandemic. Children always need to be properly restrained in the correct car seat for their age and size. The pandemic has changed our lives in many ways, in response, we have changed our CPS educational process. To protect our parents and caregivers during this time, Aubrey Klick, Fitting Station Coordinator for the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, has created an educational webinar series that viewers can watch and study from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The series will be launched on the OHS website www.ArriveAliveDE.com, and the OHS social media platforms. The virtual webinar series will cover three topics including newborn safety, ages and stages, and common mistakes. The virtual webinar series is free, and we encourage anyone seeking proper car seat education to view, download, and share.

“My job is to help caregivers ensure that their car seats are properly installed in their vehicles and that their children are safely and properly restrained in their car seats. As an educator, my goal is for caregivers to feel comfortable using their child restraints and feel empowered in their child’s safety,” Aubrey Klick, Fitting Station Coordinator, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

Paid Media and Communications Campaign

The Office of Highway Safety is amplifying its education and outreach this week through the launch of a three-pronged approach to spreading awareness about child passenger safety via social media, paid media, and traditional media campaigns. Additionally, we would like to encourage parents and caregivers to visit @SafeKidsWorldwide on Facebook to participate in live online classes offered for basic awareness of child passenger safety. While there, check out Safe Kids Delaware for more information and social media on Child Passenger Safety in Delaware.

 

 

Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification

Interested in becoming a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician? You can! Certification courses are currently on hold in Delaware due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, you can stay up to date with the latest course information by visiting https://cert.safekids.org/.

Checklist of Tips for Proper Car Seat Installation and Use 

• Children should ride rear-facing and in the center of the backseat for as long as possible. This usually occurs until age 1, however, it can be longer depending on the child’s height and weight. 
• You should never attempt to secure a child with more than one seatbelt. 
• Be sure to read both the car seat’s instruction manual and the portion of your vehicle owner’s manual on car seat installation. Different seats need to be set up differently based on what vehicle the seat is going into.
• Harness straps should lie flat, not twisted, and be placed forward-facing through the slot that is at or above your child’s shoulders. If in a rear-facing seat, the harness strap should be at or below the shoulders. The harness is snug enough when extra material cannot be pinched at the shoulder. Make sure the chest clip is at armpit level.
• For more information about car seats visit: https://www.arrivealivede.com/secure-the-kids/

“Child Passenger Safety Week is a great reminder to reach out to one of our fitting stations and schedule a virtual appointment to have your child’s car seat checked. Remember, the right car seat is the one that meets your child’s age, height, weight, developmental levels, and you will use correctly 100% of the time.  Give us a call! We would love to assist you,” Shawn Rohe, Fitting Station Coordinator, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Fitting Stations

The Delaware Office of Highway Safety offers free car seat inspections at our local fitting stations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, appointments are currently being conducted virtually via phone and video. Residents in New Castle County may call Shawn Rohe at (302) 256-1123 for an appointment. Residents in Kent or Sussex County may contact Aubrey Klick at (302) 387-2324 for an appointment. For more information about child passenger safety in Delaware, visit https://ohs.delaware.gov/carseat2.shtml.

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About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. FAQs can be found at ArriveAliveDE.com.

 

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Campaigns reinforce increased dangers associated with holiday driving during one of the busiest travel times of the year and the importance of safe driving behaviors

DOVER, Del. (Nov. 26, 2019) — The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) has announced the launch of its new Safe Family Holiday Campaign with a kick-off event on Monday, November 25. The campaign, which runs through Wednesday, January 1, 2020, reinforces the importance of safe driving habits during one of the busiest travel times of the year. Through a combination of tactics – high visibility enforcement, traditional media, social media, and grassroots efforts partnering with restaurants, businesses, and other traffic safety partners – OHS will educate Delawareans about the increased dangers associated with holiday driving to reduce crashes and fatalities on Delaware roadways during the holiday season.

“Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day is one of the most dangerous periods on Delaware roadways with drivers, passengers, and pedestrians being seriously or fatally injured in crashes,” said Director Kim Chesser, OHS. “Our Safe Family Holiday campaign is a creative awareness, educational, and enforcement campaign that reminds Delawareans of what makes holiday travel so dangerous. Most importantly, it also encourages everyone to drive sober, walk smart, slow down, buckle up and put the phone down. OHS, along with our traffic safety partners, want to bring everyone home safe this holiday season.”

In order to view yesterday’s press event and kick-off for the Safe Family Holiday campaign and SoberLift program launch, please click below:

Safe Family Holiday Statewide Events

Carolers will be on-site at the following prominent community events and locations throughout the state, performing their newest round of holiday favorites with a unique safety-messaging twist. They will be joined by street teams that will encourage those in attendance to pledge responsible driving during the holidays.

• Saturday, Dec. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Winter WonderFEST2019 in Milton, Delaware
• Sunday, Dec. 8 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Christmas In Smyrna at the Smyrna Opera House in Smyrna, Delaware
• Monday, Dec. 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: Caroling on the Circle in Georgetown, Delaware
• Saturday, Dec. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware
• Saturday, Dec. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Dover Mall in Dover, Delaware

Thanksgiving 2019 SoberLift Program – Statewide

In addition to Safe Family Holiday, OHS is pleased to announce its reactivation of the SoberLift program, in partnership with Lyft^®, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, statewide. The program will begin on Wednesday, November 27, at 3 p.m. and run through Sunday, December 1, at 2 a.m., and will provide free Lyft^® vouchers* (maximum value of $15) for individuals who want a safe ride during that period. To participate in the program, individuals need to text “SOBERLIFT” to 99000 to redeem the discount code.

Campaign sponsors include: Breakthru Beverage DE, Captain Morgan, Two Stones, Buffalo Wild Wings, Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen, First State Brew Bus, Kelly’s Logan House, Washington Street Ale House/Oyster House, Wilmington Blue Rocks, Delaware Department of Insurance, Dewey Business Partnership, Bluecoast Seafood and Grill Rehoboth, The Starboard, Liquid Alchemy Brewing, and Aloysius Butler & Clark (AB&C).

“Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, thus making it one of the most dangerous nights,” adds Chesser. “We want to make sure that everyone arrives alive to their Thanksgiving and post-Thanksgiving celebrations. This is why we are reactivating SoberLift statewide and strongly urge those out celebrating to plan ahead and take advantage of this program.”

Thanksgiving Eve DUI Checkpoint

The Office of Highway Safety is coordinating the 2019 Thanksgiving Eve Checkpoint Strikeforce in each county statewide on November 27, from 10 PM to November 28, at 2 AM. The initiative will reinforce the Safe Family Holiday enforcement and educational campaigns to keep impaired drivers off our roads. Delaware State Police and local law enforcement will be conducting DUI checkpoints in all three counties in the following locations:

• New Castle County – RT 72 in Newark
• Kent County – South State Street in Dover
• Sussex County – SR 1 in Rehoboth Beach 

Safe Family Holiday Enforcements

The annual Safe Family Holiday enforcement period will be ongoing throughout the state from November 25 to January 1 with Delaware State Police and local law enforcement agencies focusing on impaired driving, speed, pedestrian safety, occupant protection, and distracted driving.

Statistics

Recent statistics emphasize why OHS is focusing on these core areas of travel safety during this campaign.

• DUIs: From January 1 to November 21, 2019, the state of Delaware has seen 3,722 arrests and 18 fatalities related to impaired driving.
• Speeding: Last year (2018) Delaware had 34 fatalities related to speed.
• Pedestrians: Over the past 5 years, 145 pedestrians have been killed in traffic crashes; in 2018, 24 pedestrians were killed in crashes on Delaware roadways.
• Failure to use seatbelts: Last year (2018) 53% of fatalities were unbuckled. 

*The number of daily codes, available between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m., will be limited.

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by clicking on:

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Contact: Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist II & Public Information Officer, Office of Highway Safety | (302) 744-2743 or Cynthia.Cavett@Delaware.Gov.

 

About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. FAQs can be found at ArriveAliveDE.com.