State Highway Safety Showcases

Through a grant from GHSA and Responsibility.org, the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety trained judges and case managers to use the CARS tool to aid in developing personalized treatment recommendations and more individualized sentencing decisions for DUI offenders, thereby reducing their chances of reoffending. Nevada’s goals were to increase education, awareness and the use of the CARS tool by providing two virtual and one in-person training.

With the legalization of recreational cannabis in Maryland on July 1, 2023, it is necessary that the state train officers to detect cannabis-impaired driving. Through a grant from GHSA and Responsibility.org, the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) supported the expansion of green labs, providing law enforcement officers the opportunity to learn about the impairing effects of cannabis and detect cannabis impairment at the roadside. 

In 2021, there were 848 fatal crashes in Louisiana, 336 (39.6%) of which involved alcohol use on the part of one or both drivers. These crashes resulted in 369 fatalities, accounting for 39.5% of the 993 traffic fatalities during that year. Through a grant from GHSA and Responsibility.org, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission used the funding to purchase equipment allowing the labs to test every impaired driving blood sample submitted for analysis for a wider array of drugs, including inhalants.

Since January 1, 2020, Illinois residents 21-years and older can legally purchase cannabis from licensed sellers with or without a medical card. Through a grant funded by GHSA and Responsibility.org, the Illinois State Highway Safety Office used the funding to expand its ability to test drivers arrested for impairment by synthetic opioids by partnering with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Analytical Forensic Toxicology Lab (AFTL).

Through a grant funded by GHSA and Responsibility.org, the Connecticut Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office (CDOT HSO) delivered the state’s first green lab, providing law enforcement officers with training and advanced information on how to identify impairment by cannabis. Additionally, CDOT HSO developed an operation plan which is now the blueprint for future green labs.

Through a grant from GHSA and General Motors, the Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office (NDOT HSO) conducted research on distracted driving in partnership with Acusensus, an advanced imaging and artificial intelligence company.

Through a grant from GHSA and General Motors, MT HSO partnered with local FCCLA chapters to encourage their members to develop and implement distracted driving campaigns in their communities.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) used grant funding from GHSA and General Motors to expand outreach of the BUPD program to three groups: elementary school students, high school students and employers.

Through a grant from GHSA and General Motors, the Massachusetts Highway Safety Division (Division) worked with Safe Roads Alliance (SRA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives by providing educational services to all drivers, to expand their “Kids Speaking Up for Road Safety” program.

To combat distracted driving, through a grant from GHSA and General Motors, the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) identified data collection, enforcement, infrastructure, legislation, outreach, and vehicle engineering and technologies as reduction target strategies.