Delaware Office of Highway Safety Launches Operation Crash Reduction and New Website Over Most Dangerous Holiday Period
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.
You can connect with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by visiting us at:
ArriveAliveDE.com
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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 & Public Information Officer
Phone: (302) 943-7293
Email address: Cynthia.Cavett@Delaware.gov