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Ohio Highway Deaths Up On Thanksgiving But Other Numbers Encouraging
< < Back toThe number of people killed in crashes this Thanksgiving was slightly higher than last year but alcohol-related fatal crashes this year to-date are down from 2012.
Colonel Paul A. Pride, the Superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said he is encouraged by the numbers.
Figures released Monday by the Ohio State Highway Patrol show there were 13 people killed on Ohio’s roadways this Thanksgiving, which is two below the four-year average.
During the reporting period, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 12:00 a.m., and running through Sunday, Dec. 1, at 11:59 p.m., 13 people were killed in 11 crashes.
This is an increase from last year, when 12 people were killed in nine fatal crashes.
Of the 13 killed, seven were not wearing an available safety belt, three were killed in two OVI-related crashes and one pedestrian was killed.
“Even though we are encouraged that OVI-related fatalities decreased this holiday, lack of safety belt usage remains a significant problem area,” Pride said. “Motorists need to remember that wearing a safety belt is the single most important thing they can do to protect themselves during a crash.”
The Patrol arrested 503 drivers for OVI during the holiday weekend, a nearly nine percent increase over last year’s holiday.
Provisional statistics through November of this year show that alcohol-related fatal crashes are down – 277 have been killed in 2013 compared to 468 in the same time period in 2012.
Additionally the number of people killed while not wearing an available safety belt has also declined during the same period with 379 this year and 531 in 2012.
A complete statistical analysis of the Patrol’s enforcement activity over the holiday weekend is available here.