Safe Communities was introduced to Ohio in December 1996 as a conceptual strategy for comprehensive traffic injury control at the local level. The goal of the Safe Communities Coalition is to reduce the number of traffic-related motor vehicle deaths in Lake county by increasing seat belt usage, increasing motorcycle safety awareness, and reducing distracted and impaired driving. The Coalition conducts campaigns and events locally to create awareness and promote traffic safety. The Coalition also participates in national campaigns including “Click It or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” The Fatal Traffic Review Board is responsible for reviewing all fatal crashes occurring in Lake county to identify trends and recommend countermeasures to reduce preventable crashes.
About Us
What is Safe Communities?
The Lake County Safe Communities Coalition is funded through the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The funds are received by the Lake County General Health District, where the Safe Communities Coalition is coordinated. The Safe Communities Coalition is made up of the LCGHD staff and representatives from local law enforcement, fire safety, Ohio Department of Transportation, Crossroads Health, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Lake Metroparks, Lake County ADAMHS Board, Lakeland Community College, Great Lakes Mall, Mandovi Enterprises, Lake County Coroner’s Office, and more.
What do we do?
The overall goal of the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition is to reduce the number of traffic related motor vehicle deaths in Lake County. The coalition will conduct campaigns and events to create awareness activities that will promote traffic safety. National campaigns the coalition participate in are Click it or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Other events include Protect and Serve Tavern at the Great Lakes Mall, Heroes Day at the Great Lakes Mall, Prom safety Events at local high schools, McDonalds Buckle-Down Day, Motorcycle Bike Nights for motorcycle safety, and the Lake County Fair.
Teen and New Drivers
Perry Service Learning volunteer, through a partnership with Perry Local Schools, researched local crash data during exciting times of year to show the importance of staying focused:
- St. Patrick’s Day ’24
- Super Bowl ’24 & ’25
- Prom ’24
This map serves as a visualization of the amount and locations of crashes in Lake County to serve as a reminder to teens and new drivers to drive safely. It’s important to note that of the three high-traffic dates, Prom saw just as many accidents as both the Super Bowl and St. Patrick’s Day combined.
Click the image of the map to get detailed information about each accident.
Take the survey below about preparing your teen driver for the road.
Additional Resources
- Ohio Department of Public Safety-Ohio Traffic Safety Office https://publicsafety.ohio.gov/what-we-do/our-programs/ohio-traffic-safety-office-sa
- Ohio State Highway Patrol https://statepatrol.ohio.gov/
- Phones Down Law https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.204/4-4-2023
- Move Over Law https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.213
- Ohio Driver Manual: Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/publicsafety.ohio.gov/hsy7607.pdf
Meetings are the 3rd Wednesday of every other month at 9am. They are open to the public to discuss upcoming events, campaigns, and review traffic safety concerns or car crash fatalities. Email kvannorstran@lcghd.org for the exact meeting location or to become a Safe Communities Coalition member.
For more information, please contact:
Katelyn Van Norstran, MPH
Program Coordinator
Phone: (440) 350-2451
Email: kvannorstran@lcghd.org
