SmartSafeandSober.org - The web site for Virginia's traffic safety community

About SS&S

Virginia Highway Safety Committee

NEW! Summer/Fall 2008 Edition of SS&S Newsletter now available!

Welcome to SmartSafeandSober.org!

2009 Smart, Safe & Sober Calendars are arriving in mailboxes!
If you did not receive a copy or if you would like to request additional copies of the calendar for your department or locality, contact Erin Schrad, VACP Communications Manager, OR your local Va. Highway Safety Office LEL or CTSP.

A PDF of the calendar is also available for download — click here (Note: Large File - 6.1MB)

Virginia Ends 2008 With Potential for Record Low Traffic Fatalities
Four Deaths over New Year’s Holiday

State officials: Drivers in Virginia traffic being more careful
Virginia has been tracking highway fatalities since 1966. Until this year, the lowest number of deaths in a year was 839, set in 1992.

Close-Out Memo on 2008 Crash Report Data for All Local and State Law Enforcement Agencies
If you have completed, reportable 2008 dated crash reports, especially on fatalities, please send them to DMV (Virginia Highway Safety Office) for processing as soon as possible.

Upcoming Events/Trainings

4-day NHTSA CPS Technician Course
January 6-9, 2009
Chantilly, VA
8 spots left in class for members of public safety only! To sign-up, you must login with your ID or create a new account with SafeKIDS.

2008 Law Enforcement Challenge Workshops
January 20, 2009 • Salem, VA;
January 21, 2009 • Lynchburg, VA;
January 23, 2009 • Bristol, VA;
January 26, 2009 • Weyers Cave, VA;
January 27, 2009 • Newport News, VA;
January 28, 2009 • South Boston, VA;
January 29, 2009 • Draper, VA;
January 29, 2009 • Richmond, VA;
February 2, 2009 • Stafford, VA;
February 3, 2009 • Charlottesville, VA
All LEC workshops begin at 9 a.m. Click here for registration information

Motorcycle Crash Investigation and Reconstruction
February 23-27, 2009 • Martinsville, VA;
June 1-5, 2009 • Weyers Cave, VA
Prerequisite for enrollment is successful completion of a basic two-week crash investigation course. There is no fee for the course. Students are responsible for their own transportation, lodging and meals. The Department of Criminal Justice Services will award career development in-service credit upon completion of this course.

Fundamentals of Crash Investigation and Reconstruction
March 16-27, 2009 • Draper, VA;
April 13-24, 2009 • Lynchburg, VA;
July 6-17, 2009 • Henrico, VA;
August 3-14, 2009 • Nokesville, VA
The course fee is $85. Students receive a course notebook, traffic template and quick reference handbook. Transportation, lodging and meals are the responsibility of each student. The Department of Criminal Justice Services will award 34 elective and four legal hours upon completion of this course.

Advanced Crash Investigation and Reconstruction
May 11-15, 2009 • Salem, VA;
August 24-28, 2009 • Fredericksburg, VA
Prerequisite for enrollment is successful completion of a basic two-week crash investigation course. The course fee is $40. The Department of Criminal Justice Services will award 36 hours of career development in-service credit upon completion of this course.

In the News...

Fewer killed on roads in 2008, AAA says
Fewer travelers at the wheel appears to be the main reason for this year’s marked decline in traffic deaths on Virginia and Tennessee roads, according to the American Automobile Association and state data.

Operation Air, Land & Speed Enforcement Yields 8% More Summonses and Arrests on Interstates 64 & 66
2,466 Speeding Summonses, 276 Safety Belt Violations, 4 DUI Arrests

Checkpoints and patrols are planned for Amherst County, nearby jurisdictions

Harrisonburg Officials: Teens Can Drive Safely
Local police officials and drivers education instructors say that if teens and parents follow a few simple safety measures, the chances of young people staying safe behind the wheel will increase greatly.

Traffic stops in question
Two men arrested at driver checkpoints by Floyd County sheriff’s deputies in December 2007 are challenging the legality of the road blocks, saying the department did not follow its own written procedures.

Officers want drivers to remember: ‘Slow Down, Move Over’
WINCHESTER — Local law enforcement officials agree there is no such thing as a low-risk traffic stop. An officer never knows what he or she might encounter when making contact with a motorist.

Driving ‘Drunk' Made Easy
Harrisonburg Police, Kawneer Team Up To Give Safe Glimpse Of Deadly Practice

Stricter car seat law may be saving lives
Middletown — Seven-year-old Jarret Hicks thinks his car booster seat is comfortable. In fact, he wouldn’t mind riding in it until he’s 14. “But when we get older, our butts won’t fit,” said Jarret, a Frederick County resident.

Incomplete CMV Information on New FR300P Police Crash Reports
Effective October 1, 2008, when DMV receives crash reports that have missing information, they will return the crash report to you for completion with a letter informing you of the missing information needed and a due date for resubmitting the form to DMV.

(previous news items...)