COLUMBUS, Ohio – The year that ends in two weeks could go down in the books as the safest on record on Ohio’s highways and byways, but it may not stand for long, as traffic deaths have been declining for more than 40 years.
The Ohio Department of Transportation reports 945 people have died in traffic crashes so far in 2013, the lowest number since the state began keeping track in 1936 when 2,389 fatalities were reported.
The previous low mark was 1,016 in 2011, according to ODOT data.
State officials say drivers are making better decisions, but advances in technology and law enforcement procedures are contributing to the decline.
“Roadway engineering is getting better, vehicle engineering is getting better and law enforcement is getting better. When you combine all of those, you get safer roadways for the traveling public and more people making it home safely to their families each day,” ODOT Director Jerry Wray said.
The number of traffic fatalities has most been steadily declining since 1969,m the deadliest on the state’s roads, when 2,778 people died.
The two biggest factors that contribute to traffic deaths in Ohio are drunk drivers and people who don’t use their safety belts. Of the 1,122 traffic deaths recorded last year, Wray says 470 were alcohol-related and 419 were the result of drivers or passengers who were not buckled up.