Ohio State Highway Patrol targets impaired drivers for Fourth of July weekend

ajc.com

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will target impaired drivers for the extended Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The traffic initiative from midnight Thursday, July 2, to midnight Sunday, July 5, is part of the patrol’s zero-tolerance policy and part of the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, the patrol said in a release issued Wednesday.

From July 3 to July 7 last year, 16 fatal crashes killed 17 people in Ohio. Seven of those crashes and seven fatalities involved alcohol or drugs.

Out of eight fatalities where safety belts were available, three people were not belted. Five motorcyclists and four bicyclists were killed within the reporting period.

Also during that period, troopers reported a total of 712 OVI arrests, the release stated.

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“Driving sober and wearing safety belts are essential to ensuring the safety of yourself, your family, and others,” Gov. Mike DeWine stated in the release. “We encourage drivers to make responsible decisions this holiday and every day.”

“One bad decision can be deadly,” added Col. Richard S. Fambro, Patrol superintendent. “If you plan to drink, help make everyone’s holiday safe by designating a sober ride home.”

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