During this Memorial Day weekend, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has been highly visible on Ohio’s roadways to promote safety. As part of the Click it or Ticket campaign, troopers are encouraging drivers to wear their safety belts. The campaign began May 13 and will continue through June 2.
Last year in Ohio, 17 fatal crashes killed 18 people during the Memorial Day weekend. Of those fatalities, seven were OVI-related and seven were unbelted. Troopers are also reminding motorists to drive sober. The Patrol made 789 OVI arrests during last year’s Memorial Day weekend.
“Buckling up and driving sober are essential to ensuring the safety of yourself, your family, and others,” said Governor DeWine. “We encourage drivers to make responsible decisions this holiday weekend and every day.”
“We want everyone on Ohio’s roadways to arrive safely at their destination,” added Colonel Richard S. Fambro, Patrol superintendent. “It’s important to designate a sober driver and buckle up every trip, every time.”
Richland County drivers have every reason to be vigilant. Through May 20, there have been 293 OVI arrests here. Yes, an interstate highway traverses the county from north to south, but other counties along that corridor have substantially lower numbers – 70 in Medina, 76 in Ashland, and 57 in Morrow. Richland actually sits in the top ten counties statewide during that time.
In addition to the Memorial Day reporting period, the Patrol has joined forces with other members of the 6-State Trooper Project to focus on occupant protection. The high-visibility enforcement includes the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, West Virginia State Police and the Patrol. The initiative began Monday, May 20 and will continue through Monday, May 27.
The 6-State Trooper Project is a multi-state law enforcement partnership aimed at providing combined and coordinated law enforcement and security services in the areas of highway safety, criminal patrol and intelligence sharing.
You can help contribute to a safer Ohio by calling #677 to report drug activity and dangerous or impaired driving.
Source: Ohio State Highway Patrol
