This video from WRGT-TV from June 2012 discusses steps that were being taken by the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) to target certain high-crash areas this summer. However, after two months of extra patrols, the Dayton Daily News reported on August 9, 2012, that the number of traffic deaths has risen to 14 percent above last year.
The Daily News reported that through August 8, the OSHP reported 654 confirmed fatalities compared to 574 through the same date in 2011. Furthermore, the increase could be even greater if 39 provisional, unconfirmed deaths that were not yet official end up being factored in as well.
OSHP Lieutenant Anne Ralston told the Daily News that “the OSHP can’t pinpoint exact reasons for the increased fatalities,” but the number of enforcement stops are up in nearly every category the agency tracks. To date in 2012, the 346,105 total enforcement stops is also a 14 percent increase from last year. Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated (OVI) stops have increased 7 percent to 14,578, and seat belt enforcement stops are up nearly 14 percent to 60,199, the Daily News reported.
“I think we are having a significant impact on the OVI-related crashes,” Ralston told the Daily News. “But it’s a good news, bad news situation. Other causes (of fatals include) driving left of center, running stop signs or stoplights, driving impaired and crashes that are otherwise survivable (safety belts).”
Every single one of those causes Ralston listed could easily be attributed to distracted driving—which the Daily News noted “may be an added factor, but data isn’t yet available to test that hypothesis.” We will discuss a couple of other recent news stories that involved distracted driving in our next blog post, but you can find more information about serious car accidents on our website. If you have a loved one who was killed or sustained catastrophic injuries in an accident caused by a drunk driver or distracted driver, you can contact our firm at (513) 232-2000 or use the form located on this page to have our Cincinnati injury lawyers review your case.
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