OHS Child Passenger Safety Fitting Stations Closed Statewide

Effective Immediately – March 25, 2020 (Dover, Del.) – Governor John Carney ordered all non-essential businesses to close by Tuesday morning, March 24, 2020, at 8 a.m. and for all Delawareans to stay at home whenever possible to help fight the spread of COVID-19. As a safety precaution for customers and staff, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety’s Child Passenger Fitting Stations, located in all 3 of Delaware’s counties, have been closed until further notice.

“The Delaware Office of Highway Safety’s Child Passenger Safety program will continue to be a resource for caregivers via phone and email. In the interest of making sure that everyone is safe, we’ve decided to temporarily close the fitting stations until further notice as a proactive measure for our customers and staff against COVID-19,”

Sarah Cattie, Occupant Protection Program Manager, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

OHS will continue to provide education and resources for child passenger safety to parents and caregivers through the fitting station coordinators and the OHS Child Passenger Safety website at https://ohs.delaware.gov/carseat.shtml. Additional educational resources, such as graphics and videos, can also be found at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website page for Child Passenger Safety at https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats.

The fitting station coordinators are available for questions and assistance via email and phone to help you to ensure that you are following the law and best practices when it comes to car seats and booster seats for your children. Please contact your local fitting station coordinator with questions at the e-mail address or phone number below:

New Castle County: CPS Fitting Station Coordinator, Shawn Rowe
Email: Shawn.Rohe@delaware.gov
Office Phone: (302) 434-3234
Mobile Phone: (302) 256-1123

Kent and Sussex Counties: CPS Fitting Station Coordinator, Aubrey Klick
Email: Aubrey.Klick@delaware.gov
Office Phone: (302) 387-2324
Mobile Phone: (302) 744-2749

Media Inquiries: Cynthia Cavett, Office of Highway Safety Marketing Specialist & Public Information Officer
Email: Cynthia.Cavett@Delaware.Gov
Mobile Phone: (302) 943-7293

Click here for the Governor’s Office’s press release on the fourth and fifth modifications to the state of emergency declaration mandating the stay at home proclamation and closing of non-essential businesses.

Delawareans with general questions about COVID-19 or their exposure risk can call the Division of Public Health’s Coronavirus Call Center at 1-866-408-1899, or 711 for individuals who are hearing-impaired, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Questions can also be submitted by email at DPHCall@delaware.gov. DPH will continue to update the public as more information becomes available. For the latest on Delaware’s response, go to de.gov/coronavirus.

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by visiting us at:

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube 

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 Suspends SoberLift® Program for St. Patrick’s Day 2020

Office of Highway Safety Suspends SoberLift® Program for St. Patrick’s Day

*MEDIA ALERT*

March 15, 2020 

WHAT: The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is suspending its SoberLift program as of 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, through Wednesday, March 18 at 2 a.m., statewide, due to growing concern for the health and safety of Delawareans and their families brought on by the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ultimately this decision works to protect everyone’s health, prevent the spread of the virus and support our nation’s health system from becoming overwhelmed during this unprecedented situation.

OHS also wants to take this opportunity to encourage Delawareans to be vigilant with their health and that of their loved ones, elderly and vulnerable neighbors during this situation. Individuals can stay informed through the State of Delaware’s dedicated coronavirus website, www.DE.gov/coronavirus.

If you have questions about the coronavirus in Delaware, please contact the Division of Public Health Call Center at 1-866-408-1899 or email at DPHcall@delaware.gov. Hours of operation M-F 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sat-Sun 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The call center is open to take questions from the public, schools, medical providers, and community organizations. People with hearing impairments can dial 7-1-1.

WHERE: State of Delaware       

WHEN: Immediately

WHO: The Delaware Office of Highway Safety

            Lyft®

MORE: The program was set to run through Wednesday, March 18 at 2 a.m., providing free Lyft® vouchers* (maximum value of $15) for individuals who want a sober ride. For more information, please visit ohs.delaware.gov.

CONTACT: Cynthia Cavett (302-943-7293) or Jenn Buchman (215-806-1635)

SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook (@highwaysafetyde); Twitter (@highwaysafetyDE); Instagram (highwaysafetyde); Snapchat (@highwaysafetyDE).

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.

###

 

 


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.

###


Halloween 2019 DUI Checkpoint Results

(Dover, Del.) October 28, 2019 – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) coordinated DUI checkpoints in all three counties on Saturday, October, 26th, from 10 p.m. until Sunday, October 27th, at 2 a.m. the following morning.

Working together with the Delaware State Police and local law enforcement, OHS supported three DUI checkpoints across the state.

OHS is pleased to report that Checkpoint Strikeforce was extremely successful. The statewide media coverage was a deterrent that discouraged many impaired drivers from taking to the highways. In Delaware, officers made 10 DUI arrests and netted an additional 44 traffic arrests or citations for various infractions, including 15 seatbelt assessments, and 7 drug arrests.

“OHS thanks the Delaware State Police and local law enforcement agencies who manned the checkpoints to keep impaired drivers off of our roadways,” – Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

OHS will coordinate the next Checkpoint Strikeforce effort on November 20, 2019. Three DUI checkpoints will occur statewide to deter individuals from driving while impaired.

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by visiting:
Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site
Facebook

Twitter
Instagram

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

###

 About the Delaware Office of Highway SafetyPicture of Drive Sober, Arrive Alive DEThe 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.