Traffic Safety News – Safe Family Holiday

Feel the chill in the air? That means that the holidays are just beginning to warm up! Thousands of Delawareans will be hitting the road to visit family and friends and even do some holiday shopping. Thanksgiving marked the kickoff of the 2014 holiday season and OHS’s annual Safe Family Holiday Campaign!

What you need to know
OHS wants to remind motorists as they travel this holiday season to buckle up, be patient and slow down, and always use a designated driver. Here’s what you need to know:

• Since January 1st of this year, 114 people have lost their lives on Delaware roadways in 101 fatal traffic crashes, compared to 98 people killed in 93 fatal traffic crashes this time last year.
• Speeding has contributed to 41% of the fatal traffic crashes to date.
• Alcohol consumption has attributed to 47% of the traffic deaths.
• Forty three percent (43%) of vehicle occupants killed this year were not wearing their seat belts.

What you can do
Our goal is to keep families safe while travelling on Delaware roadways during this very special time of year. Awareness and enforcement are the cornerstones of our annual Safe Family Holiday campaign:

The DUI Tree project brings awareness of the number of alcohol-involved crashes between Thanksgiving and New Year. You can find DUI Trees at Beebe Hospital, Bayhealth Medical Center, and AI DuPont. Or, you can check out our virtual DUI Tree for weekly updates during the holiday season at www.duirealtime.com.

Holiday Mocktail events are planned statewide to encourage responsible party planning. Each event features a non-alcoholic party punch and smart party snacks. Take a peek at our Safe and Sober Party Guide for mocktail recipes and party planning tips. Mocktail books are always free of charge and available online at www.ohs.delaware.gov.

Be aware that enforcement is statewide and ongoing from now through the end of the year. Enforcement includes sobriety checkpoints and overtime patrols looking for speeding and impaired drivers, as well as anyone who is not properly secured in a seat belt. Remember to give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination, never drive impaired, and always buckle up.

From all of us here at the Office of Highway Safety, Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Drive Safe. Arrive Alive DE.


OHS Annual Safe Family Holiday Campaign Kicks Off Thanksgiving Week

Enforcement focus is on DUI, Speed, and Seat Belts.

 Dover – If you listen closely, instead of saying “Gobble, Gobble, Gobble”, the Thanksgiving turkey is reminding all to “Buckle, Buckle, Buckle” up this holiday season. The Office of Highway Safety also wants to remind motorists as they travel this holiday season to buckle up, be patient and slow down, and, if partaking in some holiday spirits, use a designated driver. Delaware law enforcement will be on high alert this holiday to make sure you arrive safely to your destination. Historically, Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year, putting more people on the road, and unfortunately increasing the likelihood of crashes

There is one DUI checkpoint scheduled for the Thanksgiving holiday as follows:

Wednesday Nov. 26th                        Wilmington (New Castle County DUI Task Force)- Checkpoint

Since January 1st of this year, 111 people have lost their lives on Delaware roadways in 98 fatal traffic crashes, compared to 95 people killed in 90 fatal traffic crashes this time last year. Speeding has contributed to 41% of the fatal traffic crashes to date. Alcohol consumption has attributed to 49% of the traffic deaths. Forty three percent (43%) of vehicle occupants killed this year were not wearing their seat belts.

Wednesday, November 26th marks the beginning of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety’s annual Safe Family Holiday Campaign. Safe Family Holiday enforcement activities over the next six weeks will include 30 law enforcement agencies statewide conducting overtime patrols focusing on speeding, impaired driving, and seat belt use. Enforcement will supplement already scheduled Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI checkpoints. The Safe Family Holiday Campaign is OHS’ major traffic safety initiative for the holiday season. It includes a combination of high visibility enforcement, public awareness activities, and media messaging aimed at stopping impaired and other dangerous drivers.

Over the last decade, several public awareness activities have become Safe Family Holiday traditions including the OHS “Mocktail” party and the DUI Tree project. “Mocktails” are non-alcoholic cocktail parties, where safety information, responsible party hosting tips, and samples of “smart” party foods will be provided for attendees. OHS will have several mocktail events this holiday season with seven corporate partners across the state. Find recipes and safety tips for your own mocktail from the OHS holiday mocktail booklet http://1.usa.gov/1FmVWOb.

The DUI Tree memorializes alcohol-related deaths and injuries during the campaign. Colored light bulbs on the tree represent each victim killed or injured in an impaired driving crash. DUI Trees are sponsored by four highway safety corporate partners and are set up the week of Thanksgiving. OHS has created a virtual DUI Tree for the public to view at www.DUIRealTime.com. Last year, 2 people were killed and 15 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in Delaware during the holiday season.

For more information on these or any of our other Safe Family Holiday campaign efforts follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, visit our website for updates at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.


OHS Wishes Motorists A Safe Driving Holiday

Christmas week enforcement focus is on DUI and Aggressive Driving

Dover –  As the song goes “Over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house we go…” The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is wishing all motorists a safe driving holiday as Christmas week approaches.  As the OHS 15th annual Safe Family Holiday Campaign continues, officers will be working overtime patrolling the roadways to ensure all motorists are buckled up, practicing patience behind the wheel, and using a designated sober driver if celebrating with friends and family during the holidays.

Overtime aggressive driving enforcement will run from December 19th-28th along with DUI saturation patrols continuing to run through the entire holiday season.

There is one DUI checkpoint scheduled for this weekend as follows:

  • Friday December 20th   Newport (New Castle County DUI Task Force)- Checkpoint

The Safe Family Holiday DUI Victim tree received 1 more green bulb this week. There is now a total of 9 green bulbs and 1 red bulb on each DUI Victim tree.  Each green bulb represents an alcohol related injury and a red bulb represents an alcohol related fatality on Delaware roadways between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.  Last year, 3 people were killed and 54 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in Delaware during the holiday season.

Since January 1st of this year, 95 people have lost their lives on Delaware roadways in 91 fatal traffic crashes, compared to 106 people killed in 101 fatal traffic crashes this time last year.  Aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, running stop signs, and not granting right of way, have contributed to 33% of the fatal traffic crashes so far this year. To date alcohol consumption has been involved in 35% of the traffic deaths, and 46% of vehicle occupant fatalities were individuals not wearing their seat belts.

For more information on these or any of our other Safe Family Holiday campaign efforts follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, visit our website for updates at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.


Thanksgiving Weekend Enforcement Results

Dover –  Preliminary reports law enforcement agencies indicate that it was a quiet Thanksgiving weekend in Delaware with only 9 people arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs.  In addition to the weekend’s DUI arrests, officers apprehended 3 wanted individuals, made 2 drug arrests, and 105 citations for various other traffic violations.  Officers statewide conducted a combination of sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols in conjunction with the launch of the Office of Highway Safety’s (OHS’s) Safe Family Holiday campaign, now in its 15th year.

The Safe Family Holiday DUI Victim tree received its first 4 green bulbs for this holiday season but thankfully no red bulbs.  Each green bulb represents an alcohol related injury and a red bulb represents an alcohol related fatality on Delaware roadways between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

One sobriety checkpoint is scheduled to take place this weekend:

  • Friday December 6th – Wilmington – NcCo DUI Task Force – Checkpoint

The 15th annual Safe Family Holiday campaign runs from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve and involves a combination of high visibility enforcement efforts and public awareness activities.  For more information on these or any of our other Safe Family Holiday campaign efforts follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, visit our website for updates at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.


OHS Launches 15th Annual Safe Family Holiday Campaign Thanksgiving Week

Enforcement focus is on DUI, Aggressive Driving, and Seat Belts.

 Dover –  Once again thousands of Delawareans will be hitting the road to visit family and friends and even do some after Thanksgiving shopping.  The Office of Highway Safety wants to remind motorists as they travel this holiday season to buckle up, practice patience behind the wheel, and if partaking in some holiday ‘spirits’ use a designated driver because Delaware law enforcement will be on high alert to make sure you arrive safely to your destination.

Wednesday November 27th will begin the Delaware Office of Highway Safety’s 15th annual Safe Family Holiday Campaign.  Safe Family Holiday enforcement activities over the next six weeks will include 28 local law enforcement agencies statewide & Delaware State Police conducting overtime patrols focusing on aggressive & impaired driving, and seat belt use.

Overtime aggressive driving enforcement will run November 26th– December 7th, and then again from December 19th-28th.  Seat belt enforcement begins December 11th and runs through December 19th.  The DUI saturation patrols will begin November 27th and will run through the entire holiday season and will supplement already scheduled Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI checkpoints.

There is one DUI checkpoint scheduled for the Thanksgiving holiday as follows:

  •  Wednesday Nov. 27th   Wilmington (New Castle County DUI Task Force)- Checkpoint

Since January 1st of this year, 91 people have lost their lives on Delaware roadways in 87 fatal traffic crashes, compared to 103 people killed in 98 fatal traffic crashes this time last year.  Aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, running stop signs, and not granting right of way, have contributed to 32% of the fatal traffic crashes so far this year. To date alcohol consumption has been involved in 34% of the traffic deaths, and 49% of vehicle occupant fatalities were individuals not wearing their seat belts.

Over the last decade, several public awareness activities have become Safe Family Holiday traditions including the OHS “Mocktail” party and the DUI Tree project.  “Mocktails” are non-alcoholic cocktail parties, where safety information, responsible party hosting tips, and samples of “smart” party foods will be provided for employees.  Get your Mocktail party guide online at http://ohs.delaware.gov/pdfs/2013/mocktail/Safe-Sober_MocktailUpdate_HolidaySeason.pdf.

The DUI Tree memorializes those who were injured or killed in an alcohol-related crash during the campaign period by placing colored light bulbs on the tree to represent each victim.  Several OHS corporate partners have volunteered to set up and display the trees at their locations to remind employees to be safe this holiday season.  OHS has created a virtual DUI Tree for the public at www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays. Last year, 3 people were killed and 54 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in Delaware during the holiday season.

The Safe Family Holiday Campaign, which runs from Thanksgiving Eve to New Year’s Day, in conjunction with the Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign, is OHS’ major traffic safety initiative for the holiday season.  It includes a combination of high visibility enforcement, public awareness activities, and media messaging aimed at stopping impaired and other dangerous drivers.

For more information on these or any of our other Safe Family Holiday campaign efforts follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, visit our website for updates at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.