FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DEFIANCE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH RECEIVES $27,500 IN TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT
Federal Funds from Ohio Traffic Safety Office Help Save Lives in Defiance County

October 27, 2022

Defiance, OH – Jamie Gerken, Defiance County Health Commissioner, announced that Defiance County Public Health was awarded $27,500 in federal traffic safety funding. The funding is being received as a grant through the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO).

Defiance County Public Health has identified that impaired driving and lack of seat belt use is impacting the safety and welfare of the citizens of Defiance county. To save lives and improve the quality of life for our citizens, Defiance County Public Health will use grants funds to promote traffic safety initiatives with emphasis on seat belt usage. Defiance County Public Health will continue to partner with local law enforcement and community agencies utilizing the Defiance County Safe Communities Coalition to carry out these initiatives.

Grant funds are passed through OTSO from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to support the efforts of safety partners statewide and focus on traffic safety priority areas such as restraint use, impaired driving, motorcycle safety, distracted driving, and youthful drivers.

Competitive grant proposals were accepted and reviewed by OTSO. The FFY 2023 competitive grant process solicited grant proposals from state agencies, non-profit organizations, colleges, universities, hospitals, political subdivisions and other interested groups within selected Ohio counties and jurisdictions (based upon the number of fatal crashes).

For more information about OTSO and statewide efforts to improve safety on Ohio’s roadways, visit http://ohiohighwaysafetyoffice.ohio.gov/index.stm

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