Delaware Office of Highway Safety Launches Operation Crash Reduction and New Website Over Most Dangerous Holiday Period

DOVER, Del. (October 5, 2020) – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (DOHS) is launching a combination of initiatives over this October holiday weekend, which is the most dangerous time of the year for fatal crashes in the state with increased vehicular travel. To help drivers and passengers remember the importance of buckling up, the DOHS is teaming with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to check for seat belt usage in an initiative called Operation Crash Reduction. Additionally, DOHS is relaunching its highway safety website, ArriveAliveDE.com, with more information and interactive tools to help inform Delawareans of road safety practices, including seat belt usage.

Operation Crash Reduction focuses on Delaware, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. According to NHTSA, from 2014 to 2018, this region had its highest number of fatal crashes (882) between the dates of October 1 and 15, and October was the month when most fatal crashes occurred. This regional campaign runs from October 9 through October 12 and includes a social media campaign to further raise awareness.

“During Operation Crash Reduction and all year long, our mission is to reduce crashes on Delaware roadways and save lives,” explains Kimberly Chesser, Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “With more cars on the road during this holiday period, there is more speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving behaviors, which lead to more crashes. We strive to provide our citizens with the information they need to stay safe, and that includes wearing your seat belt because buckling up provides the best defense against injury or death in a crash,” says Chesser. 

Through the relaunched website, ArriveAliveDE.com, DOHS reminds drivers of the importance of seat belt use and other safe driving practices. “ArriveAliveDE.com contains the most up-to-date information on road safety to help Delawareans adopt safe driving, walking, and riding behaviors,” says Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist II & Public Information Officer, Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “The site allows visitors to navigate and learn by road safety topic or by user role, such as driver or pedestrian. It features numerous new interactive tools and quizzes, all designed to educate Delawareans on road safety. Visitors can also register for upcoming DUI checkpoint text alerts,” explains Cavett.

Delawareans will find a dynamic, centralized repository of road safety information at ArriveAliveDE.com detailing nine road safety topics determined to be the priority areas by the Office of Highway Safety’s rigorous analyses of crash data and trends. These include Seat Belt Safety, Distracted Driving, Drunk Driving, Drugged Driving, Speeding, Pedestrian Safety, Child Passenger Safety, Motorcycle Safety, and Teen Driver Safety.

“It’s very important to get out the Buckle Up message because seat belts save lives. We invite all Delawareans to visit ArriveAliveDE.com to learn more about seat belt safety and other road safety topics to help save lives and reduce crashes across our state,” says Sarah Cattie, Occupant Protection Program Manager, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

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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.

Media Contact:

Cynthia Cavett

Marketing Specialist II & Public Information Officer

Phone: (302) 943-7293

Email address: Cynthia.Cavett@Delaware.Gov

Would you ever ride a roller coaster without the harness? Would you let your friends or family? Of course not! Did you know that when you ride in a motor vehicle without a seat belt you are taking a similar risk? One you can’t afford. Once again, Delaware is joining law enforcement agencies nationwide to enforce seat belt laws during the annual Click It or Ticket campaign.

What you need to know
Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer travel season, which makes it the perfect time to remind everyone why seat belt use is required by law. It saves lives!
Consider these facts about unrestrained crashes in the First State from 2012-2014:

• Spring months typically have the highest number of unrestrained crashes.
• Males account for 59% of the people killed in these crashes.
• There were 89 unrestrained fatalities over the 3 year period; 64 were drivers and 25 were passengers.
• 32% of those unrestrained were also under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

What you can do
Next time you head out on the road, make sure you and everyone in your vehicle are buckled up. Don’t just do it to avoid a ticket, do it so you arrive at your destination safely! Since it’s our job to help educate Delaware motorists, we’re taking Click It or Ticket seriously.

• Everyone in the vehicle, including backseat passengers, must wear seat belts properly – shoulder belt placed across the chest with the lap belt low across the hips.
• Children must be properly restrained in a federally approved child safety seat appropriate for the child’s age, weight and height up to 8 years of age or 65 lbs,  whichever comes first.
• And if you have tweens, don’t negotiate on seat belt use. Life as a parent is full of compromises, but seat belt safety for our tweens is not up for negotiation.

For any seat belt violation, the driver will receive a $83.50 ticket.  Consider yourself warned: If police catch you not wearing your seat belt while driving, you will get a ticket. No excuses, no warnings. We’re hoping you’ll get the message and buckle up every trip, every time.

Buckle Up.  Arrive Alive DE.

You would never get into a roller coaster without putting on a seat belt, so why would you get into a car without wearing one? OHS wants to remind everyone that speed thrills but it also kills.

What you need to know

Did you know that a crash at just 40 mph has the same impact as falling from a six-story building? Here are some facts that you need to know:

• 124 people lost their lives on Delaware roadways in 2014.
• Speed was the primary contributing factor in almost 40% of these fatal car crashes.
• Most speed related crashes occurred on roads that had a 50 mph speed limit.

What you can do

Speed and curves are a thrilling combination on a roller coaster. But in a car, they are a deadly combination, especially if you’re not wearing a seat belt. To keep yourself and the other passengers in your vehicle safe, take the following safety precautions:

• Buckle up. Just like when you board a roller coaster, it doesn’t matter if you are in the front seat or the back seat, everyone should be buckled safely before the vehicle moves.
• Be alert. A roller coaster is designed to travel safely on a carefully engineered track. Motor vehicles are controlled by the operator who must watch for signs and then obey those signs.

Speeding greatly reduces the driver’s ability to slow a vehicle when necessary or to steer safely around an unexpected curve, another vehicle or hazardous object in the roadway. There is a reason for posted speed limits. They are designed to protect everyone: drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

And if you need another caution sign, Delaware law enforcement officers are on the lookout to slow down speeding drivers and ensure all motorists are buckled up. Don’t take the risk. Speed thrills but it also kills.

Slow Down. Buckle Up. Arrive Alive DE.

The Super Bowl is America’s most watched national sporting event. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 1, there will be lots of game day socializing that may include drinking. OHS and law enforcement officials are urging football fans to choose sides now: drinking OR driving.

What you need to know

Did you know last year nearly half of all traffic crashes in Delaware were caused by impaired drivers?   The risk of injury or death is simply too high. Don’t think it could happen to you? Consider these facts about DUI in the first state:

• Nearly 4,000 people were arrested for Driving Under the Influence in 2014.
• 23% of DUI arrests occurred between 9 PM and 12 AM. And, a staggering 44% were between 12 AM and 4 AM.
• 3 out of every 4 drivers arrested for DUI were male.
• 73% of the people arrested registered a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .13 or higher, well above the legal limit of .08.

What you can do

Drunk driving is completely preventable. All it takes is a little planning. Which side will you choose? Pick your game plan and stick with it!

• Drinking: For those who plan to drink, leave your keys at home. Designate a sober driver, whether it’s a friend, relative, taxi, or public transportation.
• Driving: For those who plan to drive, refrain from any alcohol. Instead, enjoy the game with food and non-alcoholic drinks. Being a sober, designated driver is a key role on Super Bowl Sunday. You might just save a life.

If you plan on drinking on Super Bowl Sunday, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. Drink or drive but never do both.

Drive Sober. Arrive Alive DE.

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.