Oklahoma Highway Safety Office
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) is an agency
of the government of Oklahoma
responsible for promoting highway safety. OHSO is responsible for developing an annual statewide Highway Safety Plan to decrease fatalities and injuries on Oklahoma roadways. OHSO is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
.
OHSO is supervised by the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
, who is the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety, and under the direct administrative control of the Director of Highway Safety, who is a career civil servant of the State government. The current Highway Safety Representative is Michael C. Thompson and the current Interim Highway Safety Director is J. Kevin Behens.
The Highway Safety Office was created in 1967 during the term of Governor Dewey F. Bartlett
.
of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
. As such, the Office is under the superivision of the Secretary of Safety and Security
, the Commissioner of Public Safety
, and the Chief of the Highway Patrol.
Though the Director of OHSO is not a commissioned member of the Patrol, the Director is treated as a Captain of the Patrol, both in responsibilities and in pay grade.
. Most programs and activities of OHSO fall into the areas of traffic safety education, training, and enforcement enhancement.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
responsible for promoting highway safety. OHSO is responsible for developing an annual statewide Highway Safety Plan to decrease fatalities and injuries on Oklahoma roadways. OHSO is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...
.
OHSO is supervised by the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
The Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public safety and...
, who is the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety, and under the direct administrative control of the Director of Highway Safety, who is a career civil servant of the State government. The current Highway Safety Representative is Michael C. Thompson and the current Interim Highway Safety Director is J. Kevin Behens.
The Highway Safety Office was created in 1967 during the term of Governor Dewey F. Bartlett
Dewey F. Bartlett
Dewey Follett Bartlett, Sr. , a U.S. politician, served as the 19th Governor of Oklahoma from 1967 to 1971, following his same-party Republican predecessor, Henry Bellmon. State law at that time did not allow consecutive terms for governor. In 1966, he was elected governor after defeating the...
.
Leadership
The Highway Safety Office located within the Highway Patrol DivisionOklahoma Highway Patrol
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. It is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol was legislatively created in 1937 due to the growing problem of motor vehicle accidents, the expansion of a...
of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...
. As such, the Office is under the superivision of the Secretary of Safety and Security
Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
The Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public safety and...
, the Commissioner of Public Safety
Oklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state...
, and the Chief of the Highway Patrol.
Though the Director of OHSO is not a commissioned member of the Patrol, the Director is treated as a Captain of the Patrol, both in responsibilities and in pay grade.
Overview
OHSO is funded through grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
. Most programs and activities of OHSO fall into the areas of traffic safety education, training, and enforcement enhancement.
Divisions
- Governor's Representative for Highway Safety
- Director of Highway Safety
- Assistant Director
- Program Management Division
- Data Management Division
- Financial Management Division
- Assistant Director
- Director of Highway Safety