Ohio Patrol, Neighboring States Target Drunk Driving

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is participating in a multi-state initiative to crack down on impaired driving this week.

State police from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are also taking part in the project from Friday morning through Sunday evening. The six-state partnership is an effort to create high visibility enforcement on the highway that will ultimately make the roadways safer. Lieutenant Matt Boyd said troopers will be working extra hours in an attempt to reduce traffic fatalities.

“Every impaired driver crash is preventable, and we want people to make the wise decision not to drive after they’ve been drinking, or to stay somewhere, or have someone drive them home who hasn’t been drinking,” Boyd said.

Their efforts won’t end this week, as Boyd said the Ohio patrol is devoting the entire month of December to highway safety. Troopers will be out in full force all month long cracking down on drunken motorists.

“We focused on seat belts in November, and now we’re focusing on impaired driving in December because those are two of the most contributing factors to fatal crashes,” Boyd said.

Just this year, more than 30 percent of fatal crashes in Muskingum County involved an impaired driver.