Nebraska Office of Highway Safety

The Nebraska Office of Highway Safety (NOHS) is a division within the Nebraska Department of Roads, and is responsible for developing and implementing effective strategies to reduce the state’s traffic-related injury and fatality rates. These strategies may take the form of stand-alone projects, activities and/or more comprehensive long-term programs. Both traditional and innovative strategies are encouraged and utilized to support the divison's goals.

Staff of the NOHS are responsible for the administration of the Federal highway safety Federal funding and for facilitating the highway safety program's efforts supported by these funds. In addition, legislative responsibility for administering the state’s Motorcycle Safety Act is also within the NOHS.

Based on a problem identification process, the following priority traffic safety areas are being targeted: occupant protection, teen drivers, alcohol, speed, and other traffic safety areas. To address these problem areas, grants, training opportunities, and educational items are available.

Funding assistance (Grants) are available to organizations for traffic safety projects and activities. Applications for projects with the potential to impact the priority traffic safety areas are annually reviewed.

Funding assistance through mini-grants is also available to law enforcement for the following items: preliminary breath testing (PBT) units, radar units, in-car video cameras, and selective overtime enforcement. Law enforcement and other eligible organizations are also provided with funding assistance for traffic training, public information and education activities.

Training opportunities are available through the NOHS in the following traffic safety areas: accident investigation, child passenger safety (CPS), drug recognition expert (DRE), mobile video taping, motorcycle rider, radar, and standard field sobriety testing.

Various items are available to assist communities including brochures, posters, and videos. Alcohol testing supplies are available for law enforcement agencies. The following items are available on loan: breath alcohol testing (BAT) mobile vehicle, speed monitoring trailer, fatal vision® goggles, Vince and Larry crash dummy costumes, and a Bucklebear® puppet.

Any issue related to traffic safety may be considered under the role and responsibilities of the NOHS division. Personnel are available for resource information (i.e., meetings) and referral to other appropriate agencies or organizations.