By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Celebrations and ringing in the New Year are part of the season, but at the end of the night find a way to get home safely.
That was the advice of Sandy Wiechman, coordinator for Safe Communities of Wood County, and Lt. Matthew Geer, commander of the Bowling Green Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, during a press conference on Monday (Dec. 30).
“It’s an important time of year that we need to bring some awareness to our citizens about the dangers of impaired driving,” Wiechman, said.
In 2024, there were 95 alcohol-involved crashes in Wood County, accounting for about 3% of the total crashes, she said. Of those 95 crashes that involved alcohol, 28% were youth involved, 20 % were due to speed and 23% were not wearing seat belts.
“That’s a huge number, so we need to remind people to wear their seat belts and slow down, but today we are talking about alcohol”, which is often a main focus with New Year’s celebrations, she said.
There have been 19 fatalities on Wood County’s roads this year, which is 19 too many, she said. Thus far, none have been alcohol-involved fatalities.
To keep the number of alcohol-related fatalities at zero for the county, local law enforcement agencies, including the highway patrol, Wood County Sheriff’s Department and other police departments will be looking for impaired drivers over the next several days.
Ohio’s OVI (Operating a Vehicle while Impaired) statistics from the past five years are “staggering,” Geer said. More than 101,000 OVI arrests have been made in the state and 24% involved motorists impaired by one or more drugs.
Alcohol and/or drugs played a role in 54% of the state’s fatal crashes from 2019-2024, he said. Of the 72,130 OVI-related crashes, 3,920 individuals were killed and nearly 44,000 were injured.
“That’s nearly 4,000 families who lost a loved one because of a selfish decision someone who was impaired made to get behind the wheel of a car,” Geer said. “Telling a family their loved one is not coming home is the hardest thing we do. It’s even worse when it was preventable.”
“We strongly encourage the public to go out and have fun with family and friends for the New Year, but at the end of the night you must find a way to get home safely,” he said.
The key is to plan ahead when making plans to celebrate.
“There’s no excuse at all to drive impaired, especially in Bowling Green,” Wiechman said. Plenty of options are available, including Ziggy Zooms, which will be out for New Year’s celebrations, Uber, Lyft, or family and friends who can take you home
“In Bowling Green, you could even walk home, if necessary. It may be a jaunt, but you just should not drive impaired,” she said.
Making a plan while you are sober is important to do before going out whether it is to a friend’s or family’s house or an establishment that sells alcohol. If hosting a party, take the keys of guests who are impaired, ask a friend or family member in advance, or consider being the designated driver for the evening. “You can still have fun without alcohol,” she said.
Often people who choose to drive impaired are too proud to ask for a ride, or they have done it so often without getting caught they think it won’t happen to them, Geer said.
“Most offenders say it is their first time driving impaired,” he said. “Studies have shown that is not the case They have driven impaired a lot, and they just happened to get caught.”
Most people forget or don’t stop to think about the consequences, Geer said.
“OVI arrests will be more than just a ticket. You are possibly looking at your vehicle being impounded. Your name will be on a public docket that’s public information, so you are looking at public embarrassment,” he said. There also could be $10,000 in fines and license suspension, which could lead to loss of employment.
Officers involved in OVI enforcement often will arrest adults for being under the influence, whether alcohol, marijuana or other drugs. When they handcuff the offenders, “That’s when reality sets in and they realize they messed up,” Geer said. “I’ve watched grown men crumble, crying and begging for a break because they didn’t think of these things before they got behind the wheel impaired.”
This year, the BG post had 304 OVI arrests. “That is 304 mistakes that should have never happened,” he said.
Impaired driving impacts families and friends of the driver and others if they are involved in accidents.
“It’s just plain selfish to drive impaired and risk the lives of so many people,” Wiechman said. She worked with several local restaurants to place notices reminding patrons not to drive impaired on New Year’s Eve or ever.
