Zanesville Patrol’s Holiday Mission for Road Safety

ZANESVILLE, OH – As families in Ohio prepare to deck the hall this Christmas, the Ohio State Highway Patrol wants to spread the message of joy and safety.

The highway patrol is intensifying their efforts to ensure safe driving during the upcoming holiday weekend, which is traditionally one of the busiest travel times of the year. The patrol’s focus will be encouraging drivers to be sober, wear seatbelts, and stay attentive while driving.

“In Muskingum County, we’ve had more than 100 injury accidents this year that have involved drugs or alcohol. We want to create a safe environment over the holiday for our motorists that are local folks and the folks that are driving through on the interstate as well,” Sgt. Jeffrey Jirles from the Zanesville Post said.

Last Christmas season, the holiday spirit was dimmed by six fatal crashes. Of these crashes, five individuals were not wearing seatbelts, and three of the crashes involved alcohol or drugs.

“Seatbelt enforcement, we’ve been talking about since the 1980’s, but unfortunately there are still folks who do not wear their safety belts and every year we see crashes that could’ve been minimized by people wearing their safety belts,” Sgt. Jirles said.

As you wrap gifts this season, remember that the best present you can give your loved ones is your safe arrival. The Highway Patrol asks all drivers to do their part in keeping the roads safe this holiday season.