Safe Communities announced today that there have been 11 fatal crashes to date compared to 11 last year at this time.

October is a month filled with traffic safety educational efforts. October 21 –27 is National Teen Driver Safety Week. Safe Communities encourages all parents and guardians not to hand over the keys until their teen knows the rules of the road.

Motor Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens 15-18 in the United States- ahead of all other types of injury, disease, and violence. The amount of teen drivers of passenger vehicles (15-18 years old) killed in motor vehicle crashes has doubled since 2016. To combat the issue, NTSA offers parents and caregivers helpful tips and a framework to talk to their teen drivers about risky driving behaviors that can lead to fatal consequences.

October 19 -25 is National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week. This week is designed to encourage students to choose responsibility and take the opportunity to change the culture of binge drinking on-campus and off. Wood County Safe Communities remind everyone that it never and option to drink and drive. No matter the amount of alcohol you’ve consumed, designate a sober driver or plan to use a public transportation method to make it safely to your destination. Help us spread our traffic safety messages with the goal of lowering the number of teen fatalities as well as the number of alcohol related crashes.

For More Information:

Lt. Angel Burgos, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator: 419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu

St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the nation’s most popular times to celebrate. Unfortunately, too many people are taking to the roads after drinking alcohol, also making this holiday one of the most dangerous. St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays on our nation’s roads. During the 2012-2016 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18), 269 lives were lost due in drunk-driving crashes. In 2016, drunk driving killed more than 10,000 people in our country, and every single one of those deaths was preventable. To keep the roads safer, Wood County Safe Communities is reaching out with an important life-saving message and warning: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

If you plan to celebrate with alcohol this St. Patrick’s Day, follow these tips to stay safer:

• Before celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, decide whether you’ll drink or you’ll drive. You can’t do both.
• If you’re planning on driving, commit to staying sober. If you’ve been out drinking and then get behind the wheel, you run the risk of causing a crash or getting arrested for a DUI.
• If someone you know is drinking, do not let him or her get behind the wheel.
• If you see someone who appears to be driving drunk, pull over to a safe location and call the police. Your actions could help save a life.
• In addition to the dangers of drunk driving, be aware of walking while intoxicated as this action can be deadly. A lack of attention could put you at risk for getting hit by a vehicle.

Remember this St. Patrick’s Day: Plan Before You Party! Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

For More Information:

• visit trafficsafetymarketing.gov
• Angel Burgos, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
• Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator: 419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu

Safe Communities of Wood County announced today that the annual safe driving Halloween National Mobilization is October 31, to November 1, 2017.

Halloween is a time for making memories, not causing nightmares. This Halloween, Safe Communities of Wood County would like to remind everyone to party responsibly and to stay safe – and help keep others safe – by refraining from drunk driving.

Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 45 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween were in crashes involving a drunk driver. Children out trick-or-treating are also at risk, as 36 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes on Halloween involve drunk drivers.

We ask that you follow these simple tips for a safe and happy Halloween:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, or another taxi service app, like Uber or Lyft, so you can easily find a safe ride home.
• If you suspect a drunk driver on the road, pull over to a safe location and contact your local law enforcement or call #677 and report it.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and arrange to get your friend home safely.

For More Information:

• Angel Burgos, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
• Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator:

419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu