COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol says 10 people died in traffic crashes over the Labor Day holiday from Friday to Monday, down slightly from 12 highway deaths in each of the last two years.
The holiday weekend capped a deadly summer on Ohio’s roadways, where 154 people died in July alone, the highest number for a single month since 2007.
As motorists returned to the roads following months in isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, highway officials in Ohio and other states have noted a large increase in the number of motorists driving at speeds in excess of 100 mph.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports writing 2,200 tickets for drivers speeding in excess of 100 mph between April and August, a 61% increase over the same period a year ago.
Troopers arrested 538 drivers for drunk driving and issued 3,289 safety belt citations during the reporting period, which began at midnight Friday and ended Monday at 11:59 p.m.
Troopers stopped a total of 40,568 motorists, with Franklin County accounting for the highest number of incidents at 2,118.