The Indiana Regional Highway Safety Project (IRHSP) is a federally-funded grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation with the Highway Safety Center of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Since 1987, the project goals are to increase seat belt use rates and public awareness about highway safety issues in the five-county region of Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, and Jefferson through targeted enforcement campaigns and judicial support.
The top three highway safety issues to be addressed are occupant protection, aggressive driving, and impaired driving. These goals are in alignment with the national and state goal to decrease traffic fatalities.
To accomplish this, a partnership has been formed with other groups within the PennDOT Region Six Highway Safety Team that include representatives from community traffic safety projects, PA DUI Association, Law Enforcement Liaisons, local PennDOT districts, and the Traffic Injury Prevention Project.
A concerted effort has been made to encourage law enforcment initiatives and magisterial district judicial (MDJ) support. Specialized technical training is coordinated and offered to law enforcement and MDJs to provide the latest information and technology.
The IRHSP handles the coordination of school and community programs with safety groups within each county. This grant also coordinates and conducts three Safe Driving Competitions for teens within the five-county region.
The project acts as a resource to community safety groups to loan supplies for lesson support, such as the Fatal Vision Goggles for DUI and Underage Drinking programs and the Fatal Reaction kit to address distracted driving.
Information about receiving community programs can be requested by contacting Bevi Powell, coordinator, at (724) 357-4877 or by e-mail at bevi@iup.edu.
