Chris Luebbert Commercial Motor Vehicle Program Manager MoDOT Traffic and Highway Safety Division
The primary goal of the Highway Safety Office is to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes on Missouri roadways. We primarily focus on two key elements to change driver behavior: - Education - Enforcement
One of the most effective countermeasures in reducing highway traffic fatalities is creating general deterrence through High Visibility Enforcement (HVE). When the perceived risk of getting caught by law enforcement goes up, the likelihood that people will engage in unsafe driving behaviors goes down.
The Traffic and Highway Safety Office receives grant funds from NHTSA (and other funding sources) These funds are used to provide grants to state, regional and local partners for crash reduction programs Ten Highway Safety staff oversee these programs
Usage rate 91% (2009) 927 CPS Technicians, 36 CPS Instructors Approximately 200 CPS Tech s trained each year Provided child safety seats to low income families Recently hosted first Hispanic CPS course Operation Kids six-hour informational course for law enforcement, EMT s, etc.
One of our most vulnerable age groups Very challenging to reach Seatbelt usage rate: 66% Primary Seat Belt Law (under GDL program)
Battle of the Belt High school seatbelt competition Team Spirit a program designed to empower youth to take an active role in promoting safe driving habits Docu-Dramas Every 15 Minutes ThinkFirst Safe Communities MO Safe and Sober
Sobriety Checkpoints - Why? DWI/Multi-Agency Task Forces Ignition Interlock Devices Statewide DWI campaigns Full Time DWI Enforcement Units
The purpose of sobriety checkpoints is to deter driving after drinking by increasing the perceived risk of arrest Checkpoints should be highly visible, publicized extensively, and conducted regularly Deterrence versus Apprehension: can make more DWI arrests with a saturation patrol/dwi wolfpack.
800 700 600 500 605 667 654 649 400 300 200 100 232 294 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Allows agencies to pool resources and expand coverage (especially manpower and equipment) SWMO DWI Task Force (Joplin area) NWMO DWI Task Force (St. Joseph area) Jackson County Traffic Safety Task Force Cass County STEP (DWI Task Force) Clay/Platte County DWI Task Force St. Louis Regional Traffic Safety Council St. Charles County DWI Task Force Greene County/Springfield Area Southeast agencies Others in development
Mandatory for repeat offenders (but judge can order for first time DWI offenders) Approximately 6800 currently installed in Missouri Be watchful: Honking car and/or flashing lights could be an indicator
Joplin Police Dept. Greene County Sheriff s Office Boone County Sheriff s Office Columbia Police Dept. Jackson County Sheriff s Office Jefferson County Sheriff s Office Franklin County Sheriff s Office St. Louis County Police Dept. Creve Coeur Police Dept.
2012 Seatbelt Usage Rate 79% Primary Safety Belt Ordinances (30 cities, 1 county) Encourage law enforcement to take zerotolerance approach to non-use of seatbelts Click It or Ticket Campaign (May 20 June 2, 2013) Statewide Seatbelt Survey follows CIOT in June
Includes Speeding, Following Too Close, and Too Fast for Conditions Provide overtime grant funding and equipment to law enforcement agencies Focus on speeding violations, failure to yield, following too close, etc.
Texting and driving is illegal for drivers under 21 (tough to enforce) Need to focus on all drivers and not only teens (AT&T Survey Results) Focus on the Road Pledge 10,000 people included in drawing for a Ford Focus Thursday, May 16 KRCG and Joe Machens Ford
Becoming a larger percentage of the driver population Developing screening tools for medical professionals to assess fitness to drive Working with MO Dept. of Revenue to update curriculum for DOR field offices to help identify medically unfit drivers Looking to develop a resource card for law enforcement to use in the field
Single versus Multi-vehicle collisions Raising Awareness Unlicensed challenges Helmets and other riding gear Impaired riders Training Courses
FMCSA is key partner Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) Focus on safe vehicles and safe drivers Law enforcement and MoDOT Seatbelt use is a primary law for CMVs
Promote Highway Safety campaigns / programs Media calls/requests/interviews Arrive Alive branding/promotion www.savemolives.com Press events So much more
Blueprint Activities!!! Work Zone Enforcement Traffic Records/Data Improvement Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Safe Communities Programs Training/Academies LETSAC, Breath Lab,