Safe Communities, Traffic Safety

The Safe Communities program is a data-driven initiative to save lives and reduce injuries by increasing seat belt use, raising impaired and motorcycle safety awareness, building coalitions with community partners and conducting traffic fatality review. It is implemented in collaboration with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Seat belts are one of the best ways to save your life in a crash, yet many still don't buckle up, a habit that can pass to impressionable youth. The Click It or Ticket campaign focuses on safety education, strong laws and law enforcement support. No matter what you drive, one of the safest choices you can make is to buckle up.

In Ohio, it is illegal to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device in your hand, lap or against your body while driving. Even when you can, that doesn't mean you should. The Ohio Department of Public Safety and ODOT (opens in a new window, leaves this site) explain the law and offer resources to help everyone share the road safely.

Drunk driving is a deadly epidemic that takes the lives of more than 10,000 people each year on average. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is a national high-visibility enforcement campaign, supported by increased law enforcement, that focuses on the consequences of impaired driving.

Anything that takes your attention from driving is a distraction, texting, talking on a phone, using a navigation system or eating. Each can endanger you, your passengers and others on the road.

• Learn about distracted driving and its effects (opens in a new window, leaves this site)
• Take the pledge to drive phone-free, be a good passenger and encourage friends and family to do the same. #justdrive
• Ohio's strengthened distracted driving law (opens in a new window, leaves this site)

Drivers of cars, trucks, vans and SUVs share a duty to take proactive measures to keep motorcyclists safe. Tips for making the road safer for you and motorcycles (opens in a new window, leaves this site).

Coalition meetings are held quarterly at 12:00pm at The Records Center, 138 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster, OH 43130. Anyone interested in traffic safety is welcome to attend.

Our community partners

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• Basil Joint Fire District (opens in a new window)
• Fairfield Medical Center (opens in a new window)
• Fairfield County EMA (opens in a new window)
• Fairfield County Library (opens in a new window)
• Fairfield County Mobility Management (opens in a new window)
• National Safety Council (opens in a new window)
• OhioHealth Pickerington Methodist Hospital (opens in a new window)
• Ohio SADD (opens in a new window)
• Ohio State Highway Patrol (opens in a new window)
• Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) (opens in a new window)
• Pickerington Police Department (opens in a new window)
• South Central Power Company (opens in a new window)
• United Way of Fairfield County (opens in a new window)