OHS’s Safe Family Holiday and SoberLift Launch

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:

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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.


Office of Highway Safety Kicks Off New Safe Family Holiday Campaign & Reactivates SoberLift

Media Advisory: 

November 22, 2019

Initiative reinforces the importance of safe driving behaviors

during one of the busiest times of the year

WHAT:

The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is launching its new Safe Family Holiday Campaign, as well as reactivating the SoberLift initiative ahead of Thanksgiving weekend.

Through a combination of tactics – traditional media, social media, and grassroots efforts partnering with restaurants, businesses, and statewide 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.  

WHERE:

Iron Hill Brewery

620 Justison Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

https://goo.gl/maps/8s7U5SMVc268v7BL9

WHEN:

Monday, November 25 at 11 a.m.

WHO:

Robert Coupe, Cabinet Secretary of Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security

Kim Chesser, Director of Delaware Office of Highway Safety

John Yeomans, Chief of Delaware Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement

Dave Ennis, Regional Program Manager of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Representatives from: OHS, Delaware State Police, first responders, corporate partners, government and business leaders

Traffic Safety Carolers

MORE:

The relaunched “Safe Family Holiday” campaign coincides with OHS’s traffic enforcement period running Wednesday, November 27, 2019, through Wednesday, January 1, 2020, and focuses on responsible driving and pedestrian safety during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

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 passersby to pledge responsible driving.

    • 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

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. 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).

For more information, please visit https://www.arrivealivede.com.

CONTACT:  Cynthia Cavett (302) 744-2743 or cynthia.cavett@delaware.gov 

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

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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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Halloween DUI Checkpoint – Statewide Activation

OHS Activates Operation Checkpoint StrikeForce For All 3 counties This Weekend

Picture of Drive Sober, Arrive Alive DE

Dover, Del. (October 25, 2019) – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety is coordinating Operation Checkpoint Strikeforce in each county statewide for Halloween weekend. This zero-tolerance initiative in Delaware, implemented since 2002, is designed to get impaired drivers off of our roads using checkpoints and patrols. The initiative also aims to educate drivers on the dangers and consequences of driving impaired including injury, death, and over $6,000 in fines (for the first DUI).

 

During Halloween Weekend, Delaware State Police and local law enforcement will be conducting DUI checkpoints in all three counties on Saturday, October 26th, into Sunday morning, October 27th, from 10 PM to 2 AM, as follows:

  • US-40 in Newark
  • US-13 in Dover
  • Sussex Highway in Seaford

So far in 2019, there are 16 confirmed DUI fatalities (note: this number is not final as there are crashes still under investigation for impairment).

“This year, Halloween falls on a Thursday, so we’re certain to see extra celebrations throughout this weekend, and everyone celebrating should plan to ensure a ride home,” said Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “If you plan to drink, there are many options for a safe ride home. Have a friend designated as a sober driver, or use a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft.”

In addition to the Halloween Weekend Checkpoint Strikeforce, OHS wants to remind the public of best practices for a safe night on the roads this Halloween:

  • If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
  • Find a safe ride statewide from the OHS Safe Ride resource link https://www.arrivealivede.com/Drive-Sober/Safe-Rides#wilmington.
  • If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
  • Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely. They’re worth it.
  • For more information on the consequences of driving impaired, visit https://www.arrivealivede.com/Drive-Sober/Consequences.

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

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube Arrive Alive DE Channel

LinkedIn

Media Contacts:
Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist II & Public Information Officer
Delaware Office of Highway Safety
Cynthia.Cavett@delaware.gov
302-744-2740

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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.

 


Office of Highway Safety Reactivates Grassroots Initiative to Promote Pedestrian Safety Month in October

Cooperative statewide effort to reduce pedestrian

deaths and encourage safe walking habits

WILMINGTON, Del. (October 14, 2019) – In honor of Pedestrian Safety Month to meaningfully reduce pedestrian deaths across the state, Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is bringing back its grassroots pedestrian safety initiative statewide. From Monday, October 7 through Sunday, October 20, pedestrian street teams will be deployed on DART buses throughout the state with routes that travel corridors with higher occurrences of pedestrian crashes and fatalities. These street teams will educate Delawareans on safe walking habits and hand out reflectors for use.

“Data continues to show that October is the deadliest month related to crashes occurring in Delaware, with the highest occurrences of pedestrian fatalities and injuries. In addition, pedestrian crashes peak around evening rush hour from 5 to 8 p.m. This is precisely why we have decided to bring back our grassroots initiative to stress the importance of safe walking habits especially during this time frame,” said Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “We would like to thank DART for partnering with us on such an important initiative, helping to make sure that our riders and pedestrians Walk Smart.”

Common factors in pedestrian crashes involve individuals being under the influence, distracted walking, wearing dark-colored clothing, and crossing outside of crosswalks on busy roads like Kirkwood Highway (Rt 2), DuPont Highway (US 13), and Pulaski Highway (US 40).

“OHS will continue to do its part to promote that pedestrians Walk Smart, and hope each person helps us spread our message to ensure that pedestrians arrive safely,” said Richard Klepner, Deputy Director and Pedestrian Safety Coordinator, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

For more information, please visit ohs.delaware.gov, or visit us on Facebook (@HighwaysafetyDE), Twitter (@HighwaysafetyDE) and Instagram (HighwaysafetyDE).

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DE OHS logo

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.


Delaware Office of Highway Safety Highlights Car Seat Safety During Child Passenger Safety Week

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 15, 2019) – Child Passenger Safety Week is a vital awareness campaign that runs nationwide to promote kids being secured in the right car seat for their age, height, and weight. This year’s event from September 15 – 21, is a collaboration between the Office of Highway Safety, local law enforcement agencies, Division of Motor Vehicles, and Safe Kids. Free child seat safety check events, resources, and training are being offered throughout the state to communities to educate the public on the importance of correctly choosing, installing and using car seats, booster seats, and seat belts with child passengers.  Nationally in 2017, a child under the age of 13 was involved in a passenger vehicle crash every 32 seconds and on average, nearly two children under 13 were killed every day while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans that same year. Our staff is available to provide free education to parents and caregivers on how to use the correct car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for their children’s ages and sizes.

“Lives can be saved and injuries prevented by ensuring children are riding in the right car seat and the car seat is properly secured in the vehicle,” Kimberly Chesser, Director, Office of Highway Safety.

CPS Week Twitter Chat

This is the second year that the Office of Highway Safety will host its annual CPS Week Twitter Chat. Join the conversation with certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians and instructors on Thursday, September 19 at 3 P.M. online at @HighwaySafetyDE. Tweet questions, answers, and comments directly with OHS and use the hashtag #CPSWeek2019. Test your knowledge, share your stories, and learn something new.

“The Office of Highway Safety offers free car seat checks year-round at our fitting stations in all three counties.  We are committed to making sure that every caregiver leaves empowered with the knowledge and confidence to install their child’s car seat correctly,” Sarah Cattie, Child Passenger Safety Program Manager, Office of Highway Safety.

Annual Seat Check Saturday Event

OHS is hosting its annual Seat Check Saturday event on September 21 at the Milford Walmart from 10 AM to 12 PM in the parking lot. All parents and caregivers are invited to attend the free event and meet with certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians to ask questions and receive hands-on instruction. A multi-lingual car seat check event will be held at the Georgetown Department of Motor Vehicles, 23737 Dupont Blvd. on September 26 from 5 – 8 P.M. Interpreters who speak Spanish, and Creole will be available for this event to assist the certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians.

“CPS Week is a great opportunity to remind caregivers to always make sure their children are secured safely in the appropriate car seat.  4 of our 5 car seats in Delaware are installed incorrectly,” Aubrey Klick, Fitting Station Coordinator, Office of Highway Safety.

Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification

Interested in becoming a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician? SafeKids Delaware is sponsoring a Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification course being held in Seaford, DE. The course dates are Wednesday – October 2, 9, 16, 23, 2019, at the Seaford Police Department, 300 Virginia Ave., Seaford, DE. The course is one day a week for 4 weeks and the registration deadline is September 18. To register for the course, go to https://cert.safekids.org/.

Tips for Car Seat Installation

  • Read the car seat’s instruction manual and the portion of your vehicle’s owner manual on car seat installation.
  • The safest place to install a child safety seat is in the center rear position. This may not always be possible if installing the car seat using LATCH attachments.
  • Never attempt to secure a child safety seat with more than one seatbelt.
  • 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, go to
    https://ohs.delaware.gov/carseat.shtml.

Delaware Fitting Stations

The Delaware Office of Highway Safety offers free child safety seat inspections at our local Fitting Stations (by appointment only):

  • Dover DMV & Sussex County

(302) 744-2749

  • Wilmington DMV

(302) 434-3234

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

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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