Ohioans will soon be loading up their cars and heading off to holiday destinations. Whether the destination is across the state or across town, this Thanksgiving, the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) is urging motorists to buckle up day and night.
To help motorists and passengers remember to be safety-conscious, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and more than 90 local law enforcement agencies across the state will be out between now and Nov. 30 looking for aggressive, impaired or otherwise un-safe drivers. If pulled over for another violation, those not wearing seat belts will be ticketed. The local efforts are funded and coordinated by ODPS’ Ohio Traffic Safety Office, which promotes educational programs, coalition-building efforts and campaigns focused on highway safety.
“Seat belts are the single most important safety device in a vehicle and have saved countless lives and prevented untold numbers of injuries over the years,” said ODPS Director Cathy Collins-Taylor. “I urge everyone to drive carefully, don’t drive impaired and always buckle up each and every trip, night or day.”
Nationally during the Thanksgiving holiday period in 2008 (which ran from 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 26, to 5:59 a.m., Monday, December 1), 389 passenger vehicle occupants died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, with 13 of those fatalities occurring on Ohio’s roads. Of the total crashes, 156 occurred during daylight hours (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) and 231 during nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.), two fatalities were unknown regarding time.
Nighttime can be the most dangerous time on the road because seat belt use is lower. Of the 231 passenger vehicle occupant deaths in motor vehicle traffic crashes at night during the 2008 Thanksgiving holiday period more than two-thirds (67 percent) did not have their seat belts fastened (where seat belt use was known); while 40 percent of fatalities in daytime crashes were not wearing seat belts.
"We all share the responsibility of making this a safe holiday on Ohio roadways by obeying all traffic laws, driving with courtesy, and by drivers insisting that every occupant buckles their seat belt before traveling," said Capt. Kevin Teaford, interim superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. "Wearing a seat belt is one of the only ways to protect yourself during a crash."
Troopers recommend that motorists contact the Patrol by calling 1-877-7-PATROL when they see a disabled vehicle or unsafe driver.
