Statewide Holiday Traffic Fatalities, Crashes Down

Provisional numbers released today by the Ohio Department of Public Safety show fewer motorists were killed on Ohio’s roadways this Thanksgiving Holiday. In addition, the Ohio State Highway Patrol handled 8.5 percent less crashes than last year’s holiday.

During the reporting period, which began Wednesday, November 24, at 6 p.m. and ran through Monday, November 29, at 6:00 a.m., 10 people were killed with three of those deaths attributed to alcohol. As compared to the 18 people who lost their lives last year, with 10 being alcohol-related. In addition, in this year’s fatal crashes, 60 percent of those killed were not wearing a safety belt.

Throughout the extended weekend, troopers, alongside local law enforcement, used high visibility enforcement combined with OVI checkpoints to reduce fatal and injury crashed state-wide.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety is encouraged by the reduction of fatalities this holiday weekend and hopes that this decline will continue throughout the holiday season.

Troopers would like to remind motorists to buckle-up during the upcoming holidays and emphasize that wearing a safety belt is the only way to avoid serious injury or death during a crash.