Safe Holiday Driving Is The Theme For Official In Ohio Who Want To Avoid Ohio Car Accident Reports And Make Holiday Driving Safe For Everyone
The holiday season is the most dangerous time of the year on Ohio roadways, and this year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Turnpike have teamed up together to reduce Ohio car accident injuries and make holiday driving safer for individuals in Ohio. The goal of the campaign is to reduce the number of accidents caused by distracted driving, which is high during the holiday season.
Ohio auto accident statistics from the Ohio State Highway Patrol show that each year, over 15,000 accidents are directly caused by distracted driving. Activities like talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, talking to someone in the back of the car, watching the wrong side of the road, putting a new song on the radio, or putting on makeup. Statistics show that about 14 percent of all distracted driving accidents end in fatalities, and 18 percent of distracted driving accidents involve cell phones or texting.
Texting while driving is illegal in Ohio, but it is currently a class two offence, meaning that officers cannot pull over someone just for texting while driving. An exception is made for drivers under the age of 18, who have additional distracted driving restrictions, such as the inability to use car radio controls while driving. Law officers can pull over teen drivers for suspected texting or other distracted driving offences. [statepatrol.ohio.gov/doc/Distracted_Driving_Bulletin_2012.pdf]
The Ohio Turnpike will distribute 100,000 Brochures to travelers until New Year’s Day, offering tips on how to stay safe on the road during holidays and statistics on fatalities and injuries that occur due to distracted driving. The Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Turnpike are hoping by distributing the literature, Ohio drivers will think twice about driving while distracted this holiday season which will reduce accidents and fatalities.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol along with the toll way Ohio Turnpike have teamed together this holiday season in an effort to reduce the number of holiday traffic accidents this year. The campaign is aimed at preventing distracted driving and keeping Ohio residents safe while they drive to and from holiday activities. Executive Director of the Ohio Turnpike, Randy Cole, said in a statement for NBC news, “We are distributing information about distracted driving to holiday travelers and truck drivers.” [wfmj.com/story/30583832/ohio-turnpike-and-osp-kick-off-safe-driving-campaign-during-holiday-season, December 2015]
According to data collected by the Ohio Turnpike, over 200,000 vehicles travel on Ohio toll roads each holiday. In 2014, the most distracted driving accidents occurred on holidays. Thanksgiving saw 13,221 crashes, Christmas had 1,172 crashes, and New Year’s Day had 1,373 crashes. The Ohio State Highway Patrol hopes that by educating Ohio holiday drivers, they can significantly reduce the number of accidents this holiday season. The Ohio State Highway Patrol wants Ohio drivers to understand that even minor distractions can lead to big accidents. A distracted driver may stop two or three seconds later than a non-distracted driver, which could mean the difference between life and death. [publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/2014CrashFacts.pdf, December 2015]
The Ohio Turnpike and Ohio State Highway Patrol want Ohio residents and visitors passing through the state to remain safe this holiday season. The best way to do this is by not driving while intoxicated, driving only during good weather, and avoiding driving distractions like cell phone use and texting.
