Please join us for the 2018 PA Highway Safety Conference, April 3-6th, 2018. We will be meeting at the Days Inn Penn State. Workshop sessions will provide training opportunities to Pennsylvania's traffic safety network, addressing the latest behavioral traffic safety research and best practices. Additionally, grant coordinators will be provided administrative and programmatic updates reflecting pending federal regulatory changes, recent NHTSA Management Review recommendations, and feedback from PennDOT Program Managers.
Hotel reservation, parking, and Grantee reimbursement information is located on the "Get There" page.
2018 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)
**A formal agenda will be provided to registered participants prior to the conference**
TUESDAY, APRIL 3rd
10:30am - 5:00 pm Registration Table Open
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS (Pre-Registration Required)
12:30 - 4:30 pm CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICAL UPDATE (4 CPS CEUs) Sarah Tilton from Britax will present a Child Passenger Safety Technical Update on the following topics:
- Understanding FMVSS 213 Labeling and User Guide Requirements;
- LATCH - Read All About It;
- Recalls: Before, During and After;
- On the Go with Car Seats and Kids.
Attendees who are eligible for CEUs should provide their CPS Technician number and expiration date during registration.
1:00 - 4:00 pm HANDLING THE JUVENILE DUI OFFENDER (4 MPOETC Credits) This course is designed to address the issues of DUI operation of motor vehicles by juveniles, as well as those under 21 years of age. Recommended procedures are given for each step necessary to investigate, arrest and prosecute these subjects.
Topics covered will include SFST’s as they apply to the juvenile/underage DUI offender, negotiating the juvenile justice system, and juvenile DUI related case law.
Attending municipal officers are eligible for 4 MPOETC credits.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4th
7:30 am – 4:00 pm Registration Table Open
7:30 am – 9:00 am Continental Breakfast
9:00 am – 10:30 am OPENING SESSION
10:30 - 10:45 am Break
10:45 am – 12:00 pm WORKSHOPS
#1 DIGITAL MEDIA CONTENT CREATION FOR TEENS Engaging a youth audience through digital media may be challenging, but it's also fun. Come hear from the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) about digital campaigns that resonate with teens and young adults. We'll discuss ways in which media campaigns complement ongoing youth engagement in promotion of traffic safety, then break down a handful of successful (and not-so-successful) campaigns, looking at social media platform optimization, language preferences, popular phrases, and sample posts.
#2 CASE LAW UPDATES This workshop will provide an overview of important case law during the last year.
12:00 pm – 1:15 pm Lunch
1:15 pm – 2:30 pm WORKSHOPS
#3 SAFE AT EVERY AGE: DRIVING LONGER SAFELY In this session, we will discuss how driving can be affected as we age and what we can do to help us drive longer safely. Our discussion will include different approaches to common driving issues, as well as ways to help improve driving with different accommodations or adaptations that are available for your vehicle. We will also touch briefly on how our vision changes and the affects contrast sensitivity may have when driving.
#4 LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAFFIC RELATED DEATHS/INJURIES: THE USE OF THE PERCEPTUAL DRIVER TRAINING PROGRAM TO REDUCE TRAFFIC FATALITIES/INJURIES Dr. Lou Pesci will present this one-hour session which will focus on law enforcement traffic related fatalities/injuries statistics and trends. New concepts in vehicle technology will be discussed and how it relates to traffic deaths/injuries. The Driver Proficiency Program will be reviewed and how it can be an effective educational tool in mitigating traffic fatalities/injuries.
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Break
2:45 pm – 4:15 pm WORKSHOPS
General Session: THE FUTURE OF ENFORCEMENT GRANTS The Highway Safety Office will discuss the HVE calendar, PTS grant availability and Evidence Based Enforcement strategies.
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm NETWORKING SESSION
Join us for an evening of networking and fun. Dave Maceiko will be calling Bingo with prizes for the winners. Light refreshments will be provided and a cash bar will be available.
THURSDAY, APRIL 5th
7:30 am – 3:00 pm Registration Table Open
7:30 am – 8:30 am Continental Breakfast
8:30 am – 10:00 am GENERAL SESSION: RECOGNITION CEREMONY
10:00 am – 10:20 am Break
10:20 am – 11:50 am WORKSHOPS
#5 PLANNING FOR SUCCESS: UTILIZING YOUR RESOURCES This panel discussion will provide examples of the creative process and execution of new and exciting traffic safety programs. The programs will highlight their effective collaboration with resources within the community to bring further awareness to “trouble” focus areas in order to see a decrease in crash and fatality statistics. The open discussion will allow panelists to share ideas of successful innovative programs, while brainstorming ideas of how the program may be adapted to address to needs of other regions.
#6 IGNITION INTERLOCK OVERVIEW/TRAINING The impact of the new Ignition Interlock law will be discussed from the point of view of experts Ande Gonzalez, Lancaster Assistant District Attorney, and Eileen Lee, Pennsylvania DUI Association's Director of Ignition Interlock Quality Assurances.
11:50 am – 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm WORKSHOPS
#7 URBAN VS. RURAL PROGRAM PLANNING This workshop seeks to explore the differences between traffic safety planning in an Urban media market versus a Rural area. Panelists will speak about what works in their particular area, what doesn’t, and possible areas for collaboration between markets. The panel will also engage the audience so workshop attendees are encouraged to come prepared with input for the discussion.
#8 UNCOMMON TRAFFIC STOPS Law enforcement contacts with sovereign citizens, individuals and groups who possess a strong anti-government ideology have increased across the country. Sovereign citizens regularly find themselves in conflict with the law as they believe the government and things associated with it are illegitimate. This will provide officers with some investigative tips and suggestions should they encounter a sovereign citizen.
Officers enforcing traffic laws meet drivers who have medical conditions that may inhibit safe driving. This session will provide information on reporting a driver’s medical conditions to PennDOT and the function of PennDOT after the report is filed.
As part of their duties, officers encounter drivers with visual problems. In Pennsylvania, eye doctors are mandated to determine who is legal to drive visually, based on central visual acuity and visual fields. The question is: are these findings alone all that is significant for safe driving from a visual perspective? This portion of the workshop will cover those required visual measurements as well as other visual skills which can impact on driving as well.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 6th
7:30 am – 8:30 am Continental Breakfast
8:30 am – 12:30 pm POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS (Pre-Registration Required)
SAVING LIVES, ONE RIDER AT A TIME - WHAT IS THE PENNSYLVANIA MOTORCYCLE SAFETY PROGRAM ALL ABOUT? The Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP) is in the process of undergoing some exciting changes in 2018. Total Control Training, Inc. (TCTI) has recently been awarded the contract to manage the PAMSP and with this new management comes a new curriculum and a new outlook on ways to reduce motorcycle crashes, injuries and fatalities here in Pennsylvania. This session will introduce the TCTI management team, provide attendees with a comprehensive look at motorcycle safety in Pennsylvania and discuss strategies that are being used to encourage our riders to take responsibility for their own safety before, during and after their riding experience. TCTI will discuss their vision for the PAMSP over the next several years along with an overview of the various motorcycle safety courses offered through the PA Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP). The TCTI team will also discuss what students can expect to learn in each course that is offered here in PA. Finally, this session will cover the unique opportunities that attendees working in the highway safety network have to partner and work with the PAMSP.
SFST REFRESHER (4 MPOETC Credits) This half-day course is designed to provide approved Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Practitioners with current knowledge as it relates to the legal aspects of SFST, performance and procedures. This course will enhance the ability of the practitioner to apply and testify about Vertical Gaze Nystagmus, Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand tests. Applicants for this course must be approved Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Practitioners.
The course curriculum includes the following:
- Review of Vehicle in Motion Phase
- Review of Personal Contact Phase
- Review and Update of Psychophysical Testing Phase
- Updates of Case Law and Testifying Requirements of Practitioners
- Current Use of SFST Results for DUI-Drug Enforcement
Attending municipal officers (approved Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Practitioners) and submit a copy of their SFST Practitioner Certificate or last SFST Refresher Certificate via email or fax to [email protected]/717-540-7497 are eligible for 4 MPOETC credits.
NOTE: Per the Conditions of Grant Awards (Exhibit B #28), attendance at this event is mandatory on April 4th and 5th. Please contact your Regional Manager as soon as possible if you foresee a scheduling conflict.
Additional questions or requests should be directed to PennDOT Regional Program Managers or Emily Bremer at 717-787-3656 ([email protected]).