The number of fatal crashes and the fatalities resulting from them this 2017 Thanksgiving holiday reporting period are up compared to the same five-day period in 2016, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a prepared statement Monday.
For the period from midnight Wednesday, Nov. 22, to 11:59 p.m., Nov. 26:
- 16 people were killed in 11 fatal crashes (In 2016, 9 were killed in 9 fatal crashes)
- 7 were not wearing a safety belt
- 1 pedestrian was killed
OTHER LOCAL NEWS: Area high school football coach killed in crash
Arrests for operating a vehicle while impaired, drug violations and seat belts also increased this year over 2016
- 542 drivers were arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired (a 15 percent increase this year over 2016)
- 294 drug arrests were made
- 1,541 seat belt violations were recorded
"The lack of safety belt usage remains a significant problem," said Col. Paul A. Pride, Patrol superintendent. "Motorists need to remember wearing a safety belt is the most important thing they can do to protect themselves during a crash."
In the first 10 months of 2017, alcohol-involved fatal crashes have decreased by 15 percent. During the same time period, troopers made more than 23,000 arrests for driving while impaired, an 8 percent increase from 2016.
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