Impaired Driving A Focus For Ohio Highway Patrol This Month

CLEVELAND — The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be cracking down on impaired drivers in December.

“We take impaired driving seriously and remain dedicated to promoting safety on Ohio’s roadways,” said Colonel Richard Fambro, patrol superintendent. “We need all motorists to commit to safer roads by planning ahead, designating a sober driver and ensuring that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up.”

There have been more than 8,700 alcohol-related crashes in Ohio in 2020, according to patrol data. Nearly 1,000 Ohioans have died in car crashes this year. Impaired driving crashes account for 40 percent of all fatal accidents in Ohio.

Since 2015, there have been 81,006 impaired driving crashes in the Buckeye State, killing 2,691 people and hurting 49,190 others. Troopers have removed 141,000 impaired drivers from roadways during the five-year stretch.

Unsurprisingly, Ohio's three most populous counties — Cuyahoga, Hamilton and Franklin —account for the most impaired driving arrests annually. In 2019, troopers in the Cleveland post removed more than 1,000 impaired drivers from Cuyahoga County roadways. Despite those efforts, 49 people were killed in impaired driving crashes.

“Please don’t risk your life or the lives of others by getting behind the wheel impaired this holiday season,” said Cleveland Post Commander Lt. Rob Gable. “You can save lives and ensure our roads are safe when you plan ahead and designate a sober driver.”