Every year around the holidays, there may be an increase in the number of messages put out to the public in Ohio about the dangers of drinking and driving. This behavior is risky at any time of the year but can be more pronounced during the holidays when there is a surge in the number of social events at which alcohol is commonly featured. The number of stories about families who lose loved ones at the hands of drunk drivers is something everyone would like to see eliminated.
Sadly, 2018 was not the year when these stories were to disappear. As explained by NBC24com, four people died in accidents involving alcohol across Ohio between December 28 and January 1. During these same five days, seven more people died in other motor vehicle accidents statewide. Ohio State Patrol officers arrested 448 people and charged them with operating a vehicle while under the influence.
In Belmont County, eight drivers were arrested for drunk driving on January 31 alone per a report from WTRF.com. The previous year saw five such arrests. The increase in 2018 is not the reduction that most would want to see. Officers here responded to 20 different wrecks that were not related to weather conditions.
The lack of proper use of seat belts also is a noted problem in Ohio. Ohio State Patrol records note that of the 11 statewide deaths in the five days spanning the New Year’s holiday, six involved the lack of seat beat use. A total of 952 seat belt tickets were issued over the holiday.
