Current Projects

Holiday Campaign

Though the Holiday season is full of celebration and cheer, it is also one of the deadliest and most dangerous times of the year because of buzzed or drunk driving. In December 2007, 992 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver or motorcyclists with a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit (.08 or higher). Franklin County Safe Communities urges you to take precautions to ensure drunk driving doesn’t SMASH your holiday fun.

Tips for a Safe Holiday Party

Throwing a holiday party? Franklin County Safe Communities offers a few tips to ensure your guests travel safely to and from your party.

Assign designated drivers – serve them drivers non-alcoholic beverages only.
Encourage conversation and games. Keep the focus on fun, not on alcohol.
Do not allow guests to mix their own drinks.

Follow the link for the complete list of Tips for Planning a Safe Holiday Party.

Holiday Mock-Tails

The holidays bring family and friends together for festivities and fun. For a safe and sober celebration, Safe Communities suggests serving mock-tails (alcohol free cocktails). For recipe ideas, follow the link to the Safe Communities Holiday Mock-tail Recipe Book.

Winter Driving Tips

Winter driving can present troublesome challenges for even the most diligent of drivers. Snow and ice make driving more difficult and sometimes even dangerous. The Ohio Department of Public Safety has developed the Winter Driving Tips brochure. Follow the link to for a complete list of Winter Driving Tips from NTHSA.

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Teen Programs

PARENTS ARE THE KEY to Safe Driving (En español)

To help prevent teen crashes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is helping parents play a key role in keeping their teens safe on the road.

Through the “Parents Are the Key” campaign, CDC, offers parents tools and proven steps for reducing teen driving injuries and deaths. Resources are also available for businesses and groups to participate in the campaign and help keep young drivers safe. Visit the campaign website for information and tools on:

Spread the word! Share this life-saving information with parents of teen drivers.

Send an e-card
Listen to a Parents Are the Key podcast
Order campaign materials
Read the Parents Are the Key online newsletter

S.T.O.P.P.E.D. (Sheriffs Telling Our Parents & Promoting Safe Driving)The STOPPED program’s goal is reduce risk-taking behavior by teen drivers, educate parents and improve the dialogue between parents and teens about the importance of safe driving habits. When teens develop safe driving habits in their early years of driving, they will carry out those safe practices the rest of their life. Participating agencies provide Safe Communities with their monthly juvenile traffic stops. Safe Communities sends a letter and educational material to the parent or guardian.The STOPPED program has been in place since August 2007. It began as a pilot program with the New Albany Police Department. Since its successful launch, the Sharon Township, Whitehall and Grandvie Police Departments have joined. Additiona agencies are in the process of putting the program in place.

APHA Public Health Traffic Safety Institute

In 2008, Safe Communities participated in the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Traffic Safety Institute, focusing on teen drivers. The project’s goals were to increase safety belt use, decrease access to alcohol and increase knowledge and compliance with state graduated driver’s licensing laws. Safe Communities formed a partnership with Grant Medical Center Trauma Services, the Franklin County DUI Task Force, Franklin Heights High School and Canal Winchester High School.

Student leaders at the intervention schools were trained in traffic safety, communication and social norms marketing. The institute’s goal was to empower students to lead traffic safety activities and educate their peers on making safe choices when driving or riding a vehicle. To date, students have completed or plan to complete the following activities:

Signing safety belt pledge cards
Determining and promoting their campaigns & slogan”
Creating campaign “super heroes” (i.e. Traffic Teen and Safety Belt Boy)
Painting a mural of their campaign logo and slogan on a wall in the school
Pre Prom activities promoting safety belt use and the risks of drinking and driving
Announcements
Quote/photo collages of what students will do instead of drinking during graduation and over the summer
Performing observational safety belt studies and surprise spot checks

Safe Communities and Grant Medical Center facilitated outreach to parents, provided resources and guidance and is currently handling the evaluation of the program.

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Motorcycle Safety

Motorcycle Safety Lending Library – Motorcycle Safety in the Workplace

Motorcyclists come from all walks of life, work in all occupations, and represent all age ranges. With motorcycles becoming an increasingly popular mode of transportation, chances are some of your employees ride to and from work or for recreation. To help keep your employees safe on the roadway use the Motorcycle Safety Lending Library to offer motorcycle safety education in the workplace. Educate motorcyclists on safe riding and encourage motorists to share the road with motorcycles through workplace education.

The Motorcycle Safety Lending Library provides educational videos, presentation materials, brochures, posters, and other promotional materials to work-sites and community groups for use in promoting motorcycle safety. The library is easy to use and features materials for seasoned riders, novice riders and other motorists.

(Lending Library materials purchased from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation with grant funds from the American Public Health Association. Public Health Traffic Safety Instutute )

For Motorcyclists:

Group Riding– provides safety information for keeping safety first in group rides, including how to prepare and communicate with the group while riding.
Seasoned Rider Kit – presentation kit (complete with curriculum, facilitator guide, DVD and support materials), helps seasoned riders assess and compensate for the effects of aging on motorcycle operation. Presentation can be given by anyone!
Ride Straight Video & Leaders Guide – explains how stress, fatigue, alcohol and other drugs impair a motorcyclist’s skill and judgment.

For Other Motorists:

Intersection Kit – educational kit designed to increase general motorists’ awareness of motorcycles. Includes DVD and brochures that appeal to diverse audiences (teens, motorists, truck drivers etc.)

General Motorcycle Safety Awareness Materials

Motorcycle Safety Newsletter Article
Motorcycle Safety short messages
Motorcycle Safety materials – “share the road” magnets, banners, and “Ride Smart” parking lot stencils and print templates for table top displays, coasters etc.

Click here to Request Lending Library Materials

Workplace Motorcycle Safety Idea Starters

Publish motorcycle safety articles using the company website, intranet and newsletter.
Promote motorcycle safety using payroll inserts, email blasts, posters, banners, bulletin boards, lobby displays, cafeteria tables, car magnets and parking garage signage.
Distribute motorcycle safety education materials to employees.
Host an employee ride to work day to encourage employees to safely “Share the Road” with their colleagues who ride motorcycles.
Issue a press release highlighting your company’s motorcycle safety efforts.

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CAPS – Pedestrian Projects

CAPS

Pedestrian Safety for Non-English Speaking Populations

Pedestrian Safety Posters – This series of posters shows pedestrians and bicyclists how to safely walk and ride with traffic. Posters feature text in both English and Somali. (Also available with text in English and Spanish)

- Cross with Caution: Use the crosswalks and look both ways before crossing. Don’t assume cars will stop for you.
- Bicycles: Bicyclists should keep to the right and ride with traffic. Don’t assume drivers will stop for you
- Crosswalks & Signals: Don’t assume drivers will stop even if you are crossing appropriately. Make eye contact with driver.
- Sidewalks: If you must walk on the street (no sidewalks) walk facing traffic.
- Impaired Walking: Almost half of all pedestrians killed are intoxicated. Alcohol impairs your ability to walk and ride a bicycle.

Contact us to request free posters to display in your community.

Pedestrian Safety ESL Curriculum – Safe Communities is working to develop ESL exercises and materials to be used in community ESL courses. Teachers will be able to use the curriculum to help non-English speaking students learn to walk safely. The curriculum will be available soon!

The Healthy Places Programs has walking maps of several different neighborhoods in Columbus. Click here to find a walking map of your neighborhood or find out more information about the Healthy Places program.

“Slow Down! This is Our Neighborhood” Yard Signs

Is speeding a problem in your neighborhood? The CAPS committee created “Slow Down! This is Our Neighborhood” yard signs to remind motorists to drive slowly through communities where people live and children play.

Signs can be purchased for $3 each.

To order yard signs, contact us by e-mail or phone (614)645-6836 and provide the following information:

Name, address, phone number, e-mail and number of signs. We will contact you to arrange pickup.

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Safety Belts

May 19^th-June 1^st is the annual What’s Holding You Back?/Click-it-or-Ticket Campaign. To kick off the campaign and summer road trip season, Safe Communities partnered with Speedway Super America and AAA Ohio Auto Club. Speedway, as a part of its commitment to safety and its community, is rolling out the promotion of safety belt promotion stickers. These Click-it-or-Ticket stickers are meant to remind gas station patrons to buckle up when they get back in the car. On May 15^th, the Safe Communities of Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking and Union Counties hosted a media event. Law Enforcement officers from all five counties joined the program coordinators in sharing a message about the importance of buckling up. AAA Ohio Auto Club provided free battery checks to Speedway Customers. Those patrons who were buckled up between 10am and 2pm received a free coupon for a hot sandwich or pizza.

Annual Safety Belt Observations will be conducted in June and September. Our current safety belt usage rate in Franklin County is 69%.

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Somali Traffic Safety

The Safe Communities Coalition Somali Traffic Safety Subcommittee is working to identify and address traffic safety concerns in the local Somali Community, including:

Language barriers in driver safety education and licensure testing
Pedestrian safety
Safety belt use
Cars seat/booster seat use
Driver training

The committee is developing programs and resources in theses areas to improve traffic safety in the Somali community.

Addressing Language Barriers

The Ohio Digest of Motor Vehicles is now available in Somalionline from the Ohip Department of Public Safety
Additional safety materials are also available in Somali

Pedestrian Safety

Safety Belt Use

The committee is working to gather information on safety belt use in the Central Ohio Somali community and working to raise awareness of the life-saving importance of buckling up.

Driver Safety

Safe Communities coalition partner, Somali Women and Children’s Alliance (SWCA), received a grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Ohio Traffic Safety Office for Somali Traffic Safety education. They will provide safety belt, car seat, booster seat, and driver safety education. Visit SWCA online for more information…

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Older Drivers

When is a person too old to drive? Should additional testing be required when adults reach a certain age? How can I address my parents or grandparents about this issue? These are all great questions that seem to be asked more and more frequently, especially as the baby boomers reach retirement age.

In 2007, 17 fatal crashes in Franklin County involved a senior driver (age 55+). The senior was at fault in 8 crashes (47%). The senior was not necessarily the victim, but according to Volume 42, Issue 3 of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Status Report, seniors have a higher risk of crashing and dying when they get behind the wheel.

So what can be done? Safe Communities and Grant Medical Center Trauma Services offer educational materials to help seniors, their families and physicians determine is driving is still safe for them. The education materials, adapted from the Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers process from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Medical Association, will help older adults to make necessary adjustments, such as driving shorter distances and avoiding rush hour, to help keep them safe on the road. Seniors and their caregivers can use these materials with their physicians to determine if driving is still safe for them.

Getting older does not have to mean losing freedom or the keys to the car. Simple changes, such as a new prescription for eye glasses or physical therapy, might help older drivers regain control over their driving situation.

Follow the links below to access copies of the Senior Driver Safety education materials for print.

Am I a Safe Driver?

Tips for Safe Driving

How to Help the Older Driver