(As submitted by Safe Communities of Wood County)
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, with more people on the road increasing the likelihood of a crash. During the 2014 Thanksgiving weekend 341 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, with 50 percent not wearing seat belts at the time of the fatal crash. Thanksgiving weekend crashes that occurred at night, the percentage of unbuckled occupants killed jumped to 58 percent. In Wood County there were 52 crashes in 2015’s Thanksgiving period including one fatal crash.
With the excitement of holiday parties and celebrations, drivers may be tempted to take the roadways after drinking. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that any decision to drive while impaired can have serious and even deadly consequences. Nationally in 2015, 35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and 29 percent (10,265) died in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08. In the entire state of Ohio, there were 4,007 total crashes in the same Thanksgiving period, resulting in nine fatalities, four of which were alcohol related.
Safe Communities of Wood County extends a friendly reminder to stay safe this upcoming holiday season by buckling up, driving sober, and staying attentive on the roadways.
