Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Awards

O'Rourke Award

The Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Awards recognize notable achievements in the field of highway safety by individuals, coalitions, organizations, nonprofit groups, businesses, media, government agencies, universities or programs. Submissions may include traffic safety programs, plans or legislation in areas including – but not limited to – occupant protection, impaired driving, speeding or aggressive driving, driver distraction, law enforcement, traffic records, emergency medical services and bicyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian safety.

2024 Nominations Are Open!

Nominations for the 2024 O'Rourke Awards close on Friday, April 5, 2024. The awards will be presented during the GHSA 2024 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, September 7-11.

Submit a Nomination

2023 Awards

The 2023 O'Rourke Awards were presented to the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, ECU Health Medical Center and Flagman Inc. during the GHSA 2023 Annual Meeting in New York City.

Past Winners

No Refusal Program
The No Refusal program uses police, prosecutors, judges, and medical professionals to obtain search warrants for blood samples from suspected impaired drivers who refuse breath tests.

Missouri Traffic and Highway Safety Division
Recognizing that a cooperative effort was necessary to save lives and reduce injuries on Missouri roadways, the Traffic and Highway Safety Division launched a statewide coalition.

AARP
The AARP Driver Safety Program (DSP) provides all drivers – especially those 50 years of age and older – with instruction to help improve their driving skills, drive crash-free, sustain mobility and maintain independence.

Zero Fatalities
Zero Fatalities is a coalition of Utah highway safety partners working to prevent traffic injuries and fatalities whose groundbreaking Texting While Driving video fueled the distracted driving discussion on a national scale.

Ride Smart Florida
The Florida Motorcycle Safety Coalition was formed to develop and implement the Motorcycle Strategic Safety Plan (MSSP) called for in the state's 2006 Strategic Highway Safety Plan.

DCH Auto Group
In response to the growing concern about teen driver safety, as well as fatal crashes in its service areas, DCH Auto Group made a substantial commitment to promote teen safe driving.

SAFE Program
Kansas DOT developed the S.A.F.E. (Seat Belts Are For Everyone) program, which capitalizes on teen buying power by using a combination of positive and negative incentives to change behavior.

New Jersey Teen Driver Study Commission
A series of deadly teen driver crashes in New Jersey led traffic safety and law enforcement professionals across the state to push for the passage of a bill establishing a Teen Driver Study Commission.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel decided to use its resources to increase awareness about critical issues and begin influencing the culture of drinking and driving in Wisconsin.

MD Task Force
Maryland’s Task Force to Combat Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol was established by the Maryland General Assembly to assess the status of statewide efforts to combat impaired driving.

JTAC
As a member of Indiana’s Traffic Records Coordinating Committee, the Judicial Technology & Automation Committee (JTAC) was tasked with developing an electronic traffic ticketing system that would accomplish three primary goals.

Operation Teen Safe Driving Program
While there are many teen driving programs in the United States, none have reached as many teens as the Illinois Operation Teen Safe Driving Program.

WV LifeSavers

West Virginia's LifeSavers Program is a homegrown, creative solution to improving seat belt use that has demonstrated its effectiveness when combined with other behavioral countermeasures.


Safe Kids
Safe Kids Buckle Up, a joint venture between Safe Kids Worldwide and General Motors, is the largest child passenger safety program of its kind, teaching parents and caregivers how to correctly use child safety seats.

Buckle Up PA
In 2007, Pennsylvania's statewide seat belt usage rate reached an all time high of 86.7 percent-a phenomenal 17 percent gain over its 2000 belt usage rate.