As part of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s new symbol of its efforts – Trooper Shield – and their ongoing
effort to contribute to a safer Ohio, troopers will have an increased focus on impaired driving
enforcement in 2011.
According to the Ohio State Highway Highway Patrol OVI-Related Crashes and Arrests statistical recap from
the Patrol’s Statistical Analysis Unit, during 2010 troopers made 22,064 OVI arrests statewide. Of
these, more than one in five – 22 percent – included a speed violation; 18 percent included a violation
for driving without a valid driver license; and nearly one-eighth included a safety belt violation.
In addition, there were 13,919 OVI-related crashes on Ohio roadways, killing 397 and injuring 8,517.
These numbers have been deemed "unacceptable" by the Patrol’s new superintendent, Col. John
Born.
"We can’t fight the battle against impaired driving on our own – we need your commitment to make our
roads safe," said Lt. Dean W. Laubacher. "You can contribute to a safer Ohio by actively
influencing friends and family to make safe, responsible decisions – like planning ahead to designate a
driver and insisting that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up, can go a long way toward ensuring
tragedies do not occur."
Last year, state troopers from the Bowling Green Post arrested 417 impaired drivers who were posing a
significant danger to innocent motorists.
The public is encouraged to continue using 1-877-7-PATROL to report dangerous drivers, impaired drivers
or stranded motorists.
To view a copy of the entire statistical recap, visit
www.statepatrol.ohio.gov/doc/March_OVI_Bulletin.pdf.