Sharon Bryson, former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board, has joined the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DSHS) to lead its Office of Highway Safety.

This week, the Department announced Sharon as the new Office of Highway Safety Director, replacing former Director Kimberly Chesser, who retired earlier this year.

Most recently, Sharon served as a Social Services Senior Administrator for the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA). Prior to DEMA, Sharon had a long and distinguished career with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C.  During her 24-plus years of service with NTSB, she held several management positions, retiring as the Managing Director of the agency.

“I’m confident that Sharon is the right person to lead our Office of Highway Safety, especially as we grapple with an increasing number of highway fatalities. Her extensive experience and background with national transportation safety will be beneficial as we continue to address concerns around occupant safety, speeding, impaired driving, and preventive highway safety programs,” said Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Nathaniel McQueen, Jr.”

As the Managing Director, Sharon was responsible for the oversight of multiple major accident investigations with significant public interest from initial response through report completion, including a Tesla investigation in Williston, FL. an Uber investigation in Tempe, AZ, a helicopter investigation in Calabasas, CA., and the Merrimack Valley Pipeline explosion in Massachusetts.

Sharon also coordinated agency efforts to improve safety through its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. As Managing Director, Sharon, led a staff of 420 and oversaw a budget of $118 million.

The Department’s Office of Highway Safety fulfills its mission through a variety of public information and enforcement efforts aimed at reducing the number of crashes on Delaware roads. In addition, OHS serves as a clearinghouse for highway safety information in the State.

Plan for a Sober Driver This St. Patrick’s Day

DOVER, Del. (March 14, 2023) —The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is reactivating its SoberLift program and bringing awareness to the negative consequences of driving under the influence. In addition, OHS is continuing to partner with State and local law enforcement to conduct DUI patrols through March 19th.  If your plans for the holiday include alcohol, make sure you plan for a sober driver.

OHS is bringing back its SoberLift program statewide for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday weekend and will be incorporating the program into this year’s St. Paddy’s Loop in Wilmington set for Saturday, March 11th. The SoberLift code will be valid from Saturday, March 11 at 9 a.m. to Sunday, March 12 at 2 a.m. in New Castle County and Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. to Sunday, March 19 at 2 a.m. statewide. To participate, text SoberLift at 888-991-2740 to receive a $20 Lyft voucher.

OHS began SoberLift in 2018 offering rideshare discount codes during the times of the year when we see an increase in impaired driving such as St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, and throughout the Holiday season. Since the start of the program, over 1,200 rides have been redeemed helping Delawareans get home safely.

“This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday, and celebrations involving increased alcohol consumption are anticipated throughout the weekend,” said Richard Klepner, Deputy Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “Don’t be the reason someone — including yourself — doesn’t get home. If you’ve been drinking, make the smart choice to plan for a sober driver to get you and your friends home safely.”

Click here to see our new Impaired driving campaign video https://youtu.be/6GDtqGhz8qw

In 2022, there were 1,201 crashes, 104 serious injuries and 4,655 arrests involving impaired driving in Delaware. Of those, 26 crashes, 2 fatalities, and 103 arrests occurred during the St. Patrick’s Day extended holiday weekend, from March 16 – March 21.

Nationally, according to NHTSA, 11,654 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2020. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020 — one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 45 minutes in 2020.

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest times on our nation’s roads. During the 2016-2020 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 287 lives were lost in drunk-driving crashes. In 2020 alone, 37 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18). Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly; alcohol can affect your judgment and increase the risk to pedestrians of getting hit by a vehicle.

If you’re the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers. It can be a long night, but people are counting on you, not to mention the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the streets. Take the role of a designated driver seriously — people are relying on you.

Celebrate with a Plan

Before ever heading out, it’s vital to plan ahead. Be honest with yourself: You know whether you’ll be drinking or not. Follow these ideas to ensure you and your fellow partygoers stay safe.

• Plan ahead: If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make a smart decision, you might not. Before you have one drink, designate a sober driver who won’t be drinking.
• You have options: designate a sober driver, call a taxi, or use a rideshare service. Getting home safely is always worth it.
• If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.

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. Follow OHS on the Delaware Office of Highway Safety website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Media Contact:

Delaware Office of Highway safety

Jason Coleman

Jason.coleman@delaware.gov

302-744-2743

The annual Safe Family Holiday campaign seeks to prevent the holidays from “getting ugly” by helping Delawareans avoid dangerous driver, passenger, and pedestrian behaviors.

DOVER, Del. (Nov. 17, 2022) — Starting on Nov. 18, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) will begin its annual holiday safety campaign, designed to reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths on Delaware roadways during a time of year that consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous for the traveling public.

 The campaign will run through Dec. 31 utilizing high visibility enforcement in conjunction with an integrated, multifaceted communications strategy to reach high-risk audiences. To add to the credibility of the messaging and ensure it reaches the right audiences in the right places, OHS has partnered with businesses and organizations — including bars and restaurants, faith-based organizations, and holiday markets.

 “Our Safe Family Holiday campaign focuses on ensuring safe driving habits and encourages Delawareans to make responsible choices,” said Kimberly Chesser, Director of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety “people tend to get wrapped up in celebrations and activities during the holidays and relax their safe driving behaviors.  Drivers are reminded of poor winter weather conditions, increased holiday traffic, and more pedestrian activity, meaning more dangerous conditions that require your full attention behind the wheel.”

The OHS Safe Family Holiday campaign addresses the leading causes of holiday crashes in Delaware: driving under the influence, speeding, distracted driving, and pedestrian safety. In addition to the support of business and community partners, who will help display and distribute traffic safety messaging, OHS will connect with Delawareans statewide through a mix of paid advertising, social media, public relations, and grassroots engagements at multiple community events.  

As an added approach to make an immediate connection with messaging and the holiday season, OHS has creatively leveraged the ubiquity of the ugly holiday sweater, urging people throughout the state to “prevent the holidays from getting ugly” by taking all the steps necessary to avoid a crash.

Here are a few key points OHS would like everyone to remember before making driving decisions this season:

• If you’re planning a night out that includes drinking, make sure you plan for a sober ride home. Use a rideshare service, or public transportation, or call a friend or family member to get you home safely.
• With worsening road conditions this time of year, it’s extremely important to avoid distractions while driving. Put down your phone, always buckle up, and focus on the road ahead.
• You may be itching to get home for the holidays, but so is everyone else. Slow down and follow posted speed limits before things get ugly.
• If you choose to walk home from celebrations, wear bright or reflective clothing and/or items to make yourself as visible as possible. Additionally, motorists need to be aware of increased pedestrian activity as visibility may be impaired due to hazardous weather and shorter daylight hours during the winter months.

Statistics

Each holiday, the OHS campaign focuses on the following pillars of awareness and behavioral change:

• Impaired driving: Last year (Nov. 21, to Dec. 31, 2021), there were 3 crash-related deaths due to impaired driving/DUI and 476 arrests.
• Speeding: In 2021, speed was involved in 43 vehicle fatalities, accounting for approximately 32% of all traffic fatalities.
• Pedestrian safety: In 2021, 29 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes.
• Seat belt neglect: While seat belt use is at an all-time high in Delaware, currently 36% of crash deaths occur when a vehicle occupant is not restrained — a 21% increase from 2021.
• Distracted driving: A person who texts while driving is three times more likely to cause a crash than a driver under the influence of alcohol. Approximately 25% of Delaware’s crashes can be attributed at least in part to distracted driving.

Community Engagements — OHS Safety Snowman and Zoey Glowey Appearances

In addition to the communications tactics listed above, the OHS “Safety Snowman” and “Zoey Glowey” will appear at the following holiday events in support of the campaign:

• Dover Motor Speedway Gift of Lights, Dover, DE. 5, from 4:30 to 9 p.m.
• Santa’s Secret Shop at George Wilson Community Center, Newark, DE. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon.
• New Castle County Hope Center, New Castle, DE. 15, from 4 to 6 p.m.
• Schellville 2022 Enchanted Winter Celebration, Rehoboth Beach, DE. 18, from 5 to 9 p.m.

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. Follow OHS on the Delaware Office of Highway Safety website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Media Contact: jason.coleman@delaware.gov

DOVER, Del. (September 12, 2022) — The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is partnering with State and local law enforcement in anticipation of Delmarva Bike Week, where thousands of motorcycles are expected to roll into the Delmarva area in conjunction with the Ocean City MD BikeFest event. This high visibility enforcement will run from 9/15 -9/18 with a focus on keeping motorcyclists safe and a reminder that everyone should be following safe riding and driving practices.  

This year to date there have been 15 fatalities, 144 crashes and 47 serious injuries involving motorcycles. In 2021, Delaware saw the highest motorcycle fatality rate in over 40 years with 24 fatalities, in addition to 224 crashes, and 66 serious injuries involving motorcycles. The leading contributing factors involving motorcycle fatalities are motorists turning left into the path of a motorcyclist, as well as motorcyclists speeding, and impaired driving. Speeding was a contributing factor in 46% of motorcycle-related fatalities and there have been 5 DUI-related crashes in 2022 an increase of 15% over the 9.1% 5-year average. 

“The Delaware Office of Highway Safety wants to remind everyone who travels on Delaware roads that we all have a personal responsibility to follow traffic safety laws which are especially important to protect vulnerable road users like motorcyclists”, said Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.  “Delmarva Bike Week will bring an influx of motorcyclists across Delaware.  Responsible and properly equipped motorcyclists can help reduce rider deaths and injuries.  Motorists should be aware of the dangers and challenges of motorcycle riding.  Taking the time to look twice for motorcycles can save a life.”

As the summer season comes to an end, OHS wants to remind all-road users to practice safe driving and riding practices that will help reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on Delaware roadways.

Keep the following tips in mind:

Motorists & Riders:

• Drive and ride alcohol and drug free.
• Observe all traffic laws.
• Obey the speed limit, to help limit the severity in the event of a crash.
• Drive and ride defensively.
• Yield to motorcyclists, especially while turning at intersections, as they are more difficult to judge speed and distance due to the smaller size.
• Avoid distractions that place motorcyclists and other road users at risk.
• While riding, wear high-visibility personal protective gear and DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets. Learn how to identify a safe, DOT-compliant helmet at www.nhtsa.gov/motorcycle-safety/choose-right-motorcycle-helmet. 
• The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offers motorcycle training courses for riders of all levels – novice, experienced and advanced. To explore Driving Courses offered in Delaware and find the right course and location for you, visit https://www.arrivealivede.com/respect-the-ride.

For more information on the campaign, statistics, and education on Motorcycle safety, visit https://www.arrivealivede.com/respect-the-ride.

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,  Instagram and  TikTok.

Media Contact:
Delaware Office Of Highway Safety
Jason Coleman
jason.coleman@delaware.gov
302-744-2743 (office)
302-943-7293 (cell)

DOVER, Del. (May 19, 2022) — The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt this spring, during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. Delaware is joining the national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday and runs from May 20 to June 5, 2022.

For this year’s Click It or Ticket seat belt mobilization effort, NHTSA is asking all states to participate in the kickoff event, Border to Border (B2B), a one-day, 4-hour national seat belt awareness event on May 23 that is coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The B2B program aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled state borders.  

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit NHTSA.gov/ciot.

In Delaware, younger occupants are the most likely to be involved in unrestrained crashes. Additionally, almost twice as many males were killed in crashes compared to females. Studies show that males have a lower seatbelt usage rate than females. Of the males killed in crashes, more than half (66%) were unrestrained compared to 34% of females that were not buckled up.

“Over the past year in Delaware, 49 percent of people that were killed in crashes were not wearing a seatbelt,” said Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life and so often, it could have been prevented. It’s imperative we get the message out about the importance of seat belt safety to prevent these tragedies from happening.”

OHS is asking drivers and passengers across the country to please make buckling up an automatic habit. Whether you ride in the front seat or the back, and no matter which car seat or booster seat your child may use, everyone’s seat belt should be buckled every trip. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash.

“You may think you’re safe in a certain vehicle, or on a certain road, but the truth is, you’re safest when you buckle up, no matter what,” said Sarah Cattie, Senior Traffic Safety Program Manager. “Unfortunately, many families are suffering because their loved ones refused to follow this simple step.”

In addition to increased patrols, we want to educate drivers and passengers on the dangers of unbuckled driving and the correct way to buckle up safely:

Consequences of not wearing a seat belt

• Buckling up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas not buckling up can result in being totally ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly. 
• Airbags are not enough to protect you; in fact, the force of an airbag can seriously injure or even kill you if you’re not buckled up.
• Improperly wearing a seat belt, such as putting the strap below your arm, puts you and your children at risk in a crash.

Guidelines to buckle up safely

• The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the pelvis and rib cage, which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
• Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
• The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
• NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.

For more information on the campaign, statistics, and education visit www.arrivealivede.com/buckle-up/

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.

Media Contact:
Delaware Office Of Highway Safety
Jason Coleman
jason.coleman@delaware.gov
302-744-2743 (office)
302-943-7293 (cell)