OHIO, USA — The Ohio State Highway Patrol released the results of its New Year's traffic enforcement period Tuesday, reporting fewer fatal crashes in the state than in the previous three years.
According to OSHP, the reporting period of Dec. 29, 2023 to Jan. 1, 2024 saw a total of six fatal crashes that claimed seven lives statewide. Of the seven fatalities, OSHP said five people killed were not wearing an available safety belt.
The seven fatalities were a decrease from previous years in the same reporting periods. In the 2020-21 New Year's holiday period, there were 14 crash-related fatalities; in 2021-22 there were 12; and in 2022-23, 13 people were killed in crashes.
Statewide, troopers reported a total of 3,259 traffic enforcement contacts, resulting in 272 OVI arrests, 106 distracted driving incidents and 409 safety belt citations. OVI arrests saw an increase from the previous New Year's holiday period, going from 219 to 272.
Out of all the activity measured by OSHP, distracted driving citations saw the largest increase, going from 61 to 106 incidents, a 73.8% increase. This comes as the first New Year's holiday following Ohio's new distracted driving law, which became enforceable on Oct. 7, 2023.
The area that saw the most decrease was drug-related incidents; OSHP made 29 drug activity traffic enforcement contacts this year, while in the previous year's reporting period drugs counted for 104 contacts, a 72.1% decrease.
Below is a list of the Ohio counties with the most number of incidents during the holiday weekend:
- Lorain - 398 incidents
- Clermont -328 incidents
- Portage - 296 incidents
- Cuyahoga - 292 incidents
- Franklin - 285 incidents
- Wood - 274 incidents
- Richland - 262 incidents
- Summit - 236 incidents
- Mahoning - 211 incidents
- Pickaway - 209 incidents
- All other counties combined - 7,223 incidents
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