Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers will deploy extra patrols for the New Year’s holiday to help protect against distracted and impaired driving.
During the last New Year’s holiday reporting period, there were 11 fatal crashes that killed 12 people. Of the 12 fatalities, seven were not wearing a safety belt.
Twelve people were killed in vehicle crashes in Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday, which was one more than during the Christmas 2018 travel weekend even though the 2018 reporting period was three days longer. This makes 2019 one of the deadliest years on Ohio roads during this decade.
On average, drunk driving crashes kill 30 people every day in the United States — approximately one person every 50 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
This New Year’s Eve, AAA encourages partygoers to make safety a top priority by doing their part to prevent drunk and drug impaired driving.
According to the most recent AAA Foundation Traffic Safety Culture Index:
• Almost all drivers (95.1 percent) say driving after drinking is very or extremely dangerous. Yet, almost 11 percent admitted to having done so in the past 30 days.
• Most drivers (70 percent) say driving within an hour after using marijuana is extremely dangerous. Yet, more than 7 percent of drivers personally approve of driving shortly after using marijuana.
• Most drivers (87.3 percent) say driving after using potentially impairing prescription drugs is very or extremely dangerous. Yet, about 45 percent of drivers say a person driving after using potentially impairing prescription drugs would likely be caught by the police.
More than 13,000 impaired driving-related crashes occurred on Ohio’s roads in 2018, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. More impaired driving-related crashes happened in December than during any other month, with about 1,160 impaired driving-related crashes during that month alone. NHTSA reports alcohol contributed to 28 percent of Ohio’s fatal crashes in 2018.
AAA encourages Near Year’s Eve party hosts and partygoers to celebrate responsibly and prevent drunk driving by following safe celebration tips:
• Plan Ahead: Don’t Drive Impaired – Choose a designated sober driver, or plan to call a cab or ride sharing service if you will be drinking.
• Serve Non-Alcoholic Beverages – Host responsibly and never let guests drive drunk. Ohio’s host liability law holds those who serve alcohol liable for injury or death that occurs due to their drunk guests.
• Take the Pledge at PreventDUI.AAA.com – Pledge to drive drug and alcohol free, and share your pledge on social media, encouraging friends and family to do the same.