BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — We now know how many people have died on Wood County roads so far this year. According to Safe Communities of Wood County, 10 people have died in fatal crashes.
It may not sound like a high number, but COVID-19 has had an impact on the number of people on the roads.
Safe Communities of Wood County Coordinator Sandy Wiechman said that number is the same compared to this time last year, but there is something else to consider.
"With COVID and everything going on we had a lull, where people weren't driving. But now, there's just so many erratic behaviors and bad decisions being made that our crashes are up and unfortunately our fatal numbers are up as well," Wiechman said.
She said the total number of fatal crashes in 2019 was 13 and she thinks the county is outpacing it.
Although the number to date is the same as last year, fatal crashes in the state of Ohio are up. She said nice weather is a factor as well.
"Bright, beautiful sunny days, we always emphasize that you take your time when you're driving because that's when we have our most crashes in northwest Ohio," she said.
The month of October is filled with traffic safety awareness efforts.
Wiechman said they will be spreading the message about distracted and impaired driving with in-person and virtual events starting Oct. 18.
"It's going to be really neat. It's based mostly on education because we want to educate the students on impaired driving," Wiechman said.
They will be posting more information on their social media pages as the events get closer.
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