(Columbus) -- The Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging drivers who intend to celebrate the New Year’s holiday to plan ahead and designate a sober driver.
The Patrol’s zero-tolerance policy is part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement campaign aimed at removing impaired drivers from the roadways.
The New Year’s holiday reporting period begins Friday, December 27, 2018 at midnight and ends on Tuesday January 1, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.
Five fatal crashes killed six people during the four-day 2017‐2018 New Year’s holiday period. Two crashes and two fatalities were OVI related, two fatalities occurred where safety belts were available but not in use.
"There are so many options to get home safely,” said Colonel Paul A. Pride, Patrol superintendent. “Planning ahead before you go out is not only the smart thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”
Year-to-date, there have been 1,046 confirmed fatalities on Ohio’s roads; a 10 percent decrease over the same time last year. Roadway safety is a shared responsibility; everyone can contribute to making our roadways safer by following traffic laws, wearing safety belts and driving sober.
Report impaired drivers and drug activity by calling #677.