‘Use Your Melon’ Impaired Driving Awareness Campaign At The Delaware State Fair

Office of Highway Safety brings Impaired Driving Awareness to the Centennial Celebration of the

Delaware State Fair

Dover, DE (July 22, 2019) – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety has partnered with NASCAR driver Ross Chastain for the fourth year in a row, in the “Use Your Melon, Drive Sober, Arrive Alive DE,” campaign and will be on-site at the Delaware State Fair during its centennial celebration year from Monday, July 22nd from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM, to Tuesday, July 23rd from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. He’ll be engaging with fans to promote the “Use Your Melon,” campaign and be available for autographs and photo opportunities. The No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro Show Car will be on-site at the OHS booth during all 10 days of the Delaware State Fair. The OHS booth includes an interactive display including games, a selfie station, hero cards, and more. 

“As the Office of Highway Safety celebrates its 50th Anniversary, our staff is braving the extreme temperatures to bring the message of impaired driving dangers to Delaware State Fair attendees. Our focus is not only on the reduction of driving while intoxicated with alcohol but on helping Delawareans understand that driving while impaired also means driving under the influence of drugs including prescription or otherwise,” Christopher Klein, Acting Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

The Dover International Speedway is partnering on-site with the OHS at the fair and is giving away ticket vouchers for the Monster Energy Cup Series race on October 6th, and ticket vouchers for the Xfinity Series race on October 5th. The tickets will be distributed throughout the run of the fair through game participation and electronic surveys concerning impaired driving. Also, there is a special VIP grand prize package giveaway that will include tickets to the Sunday race, Meet & Greet with Ross, and a tour of the trailer/garage on Sunday. The Monster Mile is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and will be hosting many special events throughout the weekend including live music, interactive displays, games, free sampling, and surprises.

“Ross and his team originally approached OHS with the melon campaign messaging based on his family’s farming legacy. He’s an 8th-generation farmer and a 4th-generation watermelon farmer. The “Use Your Melon,” campaign’s focus is on impaired driving and its dangers which can include alcohol, recreational drugs, and even prescription medications. In other words, “Use Your Melon,” when getting behind the wheel of a vehicle,” Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist, and Public Information Officer, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

Be on the lookout for over 1 million watermelons throughout the state of Delaware with the “Use Your Melon,” brand stickers on them, plus Carvertise-activated cars that are driving throughout the state through the end of October with the watermelon branding. The “Use Your Melon,” branded vehicles promote the same melon messaging that Ross is promoting for the Office of Highway Safety to hundreds of thousands of motorists, passengers, and pedestrians all summer long. 

This Highway Safety Collaboration in Motorsports in Delaware includes the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, Ross Chastain Racing, Dover International Speedway, JD Motorsports with Gary KellerMelon 1, and Carvertise.

Frequently asked questions on the consequences of life after a DUI can be found at http://www.arrivealivede.com/Drive-Sober/FAQs.  For more information on Delaware DUI fatalities and arrests, visit http://www.arrivealivede.com/DriveSober.

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

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Picture of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety Logo

Picture of Drive Sober, Arrive Alive DE

 

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.


MOVE OVER LAW DAY – May 16, 2019

NHTSA Region 3 and Law enforcement Agencies Kick Off CLICK IT OR TICKET and MOVE OVER LAW DAY

Campaign also reminds drivers of mandatory “Move Over Laws” to protect law enforcement doing their jobs roadside

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: 
Cynthia Cavett, Delaware Office of Highway Safety (302) 744-2743

Move Over Law Logo

DOVER, DE (May 16, 2019) — As the Memorial Day holiday approaches, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and District of Columbia law enforcement agencies will join forces to remind drivers and passengers of the importance of seat belt use, while also highlighting their “Move Over” laws.

“Hundreds of DelDOT employees are out working on and around our roads every day and vehicles moving over when they see our crews increases safety for both our workers and the traveling public,” said Secretary of Transportation, Jennifer Cohan.

New to the region’s Click it or Ticket campaign this year, May 13 to June 2, is a reminder of the dangers first responders and roadway workers face while stopped on the roadways.  All 50 States have enacted “Move Over” laws, but very few Americans know they exist.
 
“With the recent crashes on 301 and the William V. Roth, Jr. Bridge in St. Georges City, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety cannot overstate the importance of compliance with the Move Over Law as it directly relates to the safety of our first responders and other response and utility personnel covered in the law. Please familiarize yourself with these laws and move over,” Department of Safety and Homeland Security Deputy Principal Assistant, and Delaware Office of Highway Safety Acting Director, Christopher Klein.

“AAA is in the business of rescuing millions of stranded motorists across the country, including more than 70,000 in Delaware, each year. At the heart of this effort are service technicians and tow truck operators who put their lives at risk each time they respond to a member’s call for help. AAA encourages all drivers to slow down and move over for police, firefighters, emergency medical service crews, utility and municipal fleets, and tow operators working at the roadside,” Ken Grant, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Today’s emphasis on Move Over laws coincides with the conclusion of Police Week, which pays tribute to the local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication.

Thousands of Americans are alive today thanks to strong state laws, the Click It or Ticket enforcement and paid media effort, and the year-round “Buckle Up America” campaigns.
 
In 2017, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives of occupants 5 and older. From 2013–2017, belt use is estimated to have saved almost 70,000 lives.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, please visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/click-it-or-ticket. Click here for information on Move Over Laws and here for the Delaware Move Over Law in Section 4134 of Title 21, Chap. 41.

NASCAR Driver Ross Chastain sits down with highway safety super fan John Q. Rhodes at The Dover International Speedway for an exclusive discussion on seat belt safety.

About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (DOHS)
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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