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Ohio Auto Accidents: Ohio Looks To Reduce Traffic Fatalities By 5 Percent By 2015

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In An Effort To Promote State-Wide Driving Safety, A Statewide Goal To Reduce Ohio Auto Accident Fatalities By 5 Percent By 2015 Has Been Enacted.

In 2013, the state saw an increase in Ohio auto accidents. Each month in 2013 averaged about 4,945 auto accidents, up from an average of 4,132 in 2012. Unfortunately, fatalities have also risen in 2013. In 2012, the average Ohio crash fatality numbers per month were around 80. In 2013, however, the average is around 82 fatalities per month. This brings urgency to the issue of increasing traffic safety. Due to the unwanted rise in Ohio auto accidents, the state of Ohio has a goal of reducing the number of traffic fatalities by 5 percent by 2015. The state is working with several safety programs and educational supplements to help make the roads safer for everyone. [statepatrol.ohio.gov/statistics/, November 2013] [ohiohighwaysafetyoffice.ohio.gov/otso_annual_crash_facts.stm)

Ohio’s Safe Driving Efforts

Currently, the state of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Ohio State Patrol all have programs that aim to reduce fatalities and auto accidents. The Ohio State Patrol has several education programs designed to make all drivers safer. Their programs include “Share the Road Safely,” “You are in Control,” “Trooper Shield,” “Truck Shield,” and “Community Shield.” These programs are designed to help educate all drivers on better ways to improve driving safety and reduce accidents in all situations.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has had a safety campaign with the tag line, “Every move you make keep it safe,” for the past several years. The ODOT program provides simulators, educational facts, and other driving safety tips to help educate Ohio drivers about Ohio auto accident statistics and better ways to stay safe on the road. Their distracted driving simulator helps drivers see how engaging in distracting activities while driving, like texting, making phone calls, or applying makeup, can lead to an increase in traffic accidents and fatalities.

The entire state uses a strategy known as the Crash Analysis Reduction Strategy (CARS) to work toward reducing fatalities. The Cincinnati Police Department founded CARS in 2006 as a scientific way to look at the real cause of crashes and how to eliminate these causes for everyday drivers. This program found that the three leading causes of Ohio auto accident fatalities included:

  • Aggressive driving
  • Lack of seatbelt use
  • Driving while impaired with alcohol or drugs

Over the past 7 years, Cincinnati was able to reduce their total Ohio auto accident fatalities to the lowest of any large city in the state of Ohio using this program.
[portsmouth-dailytimes.com/view/full_story/19770752/article-odot-brings-realities-of-distracted-driving-to-fair, November 2013][uc.edu/content/dam/uc/ics/docs/CARS.pdf, November 2013)

Although 2013 was a year for setbacks in traffic accident numbers and fatalities, over the past 5 years, traffic accidents have dropped. An emphasis on driving without distractions, driving with a seatbelt, and refusing to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol has helped cut back on the number of Ohio auto accident fatalities seen state-wide.