Category Archives: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Annual Traffic Crash Statistics through July 2017

Wood County Safe Communities announced today that there have been 8 fatal crashes in Wood County compared to 9 at this same time last year.

August is back to school month for local school districts and higher education facilities in Wood County.  When travelling rural roads, please be attentive to school buses in the area picking up and dropping of their precious cargo.  Watch for increased traffic in the area of school buildings and be mindful of the 20 mph school zone speed limit during restricted times.

Owens Community College begins the fall semester on August 21.  Watch for increased traffic on Oregon Road with students entering and exiting campus.  Students and staff of the college are reminder to be mindful of congestion in parking lots and be aware of your surroundings.  These times can help prevent the high number of crashes that occur in in college parking lots.

Bowling Green State University (BGSU) classes also begin August 21.  Wooster Street is the main thoroughfare to enter the campus statistics show a high volume of crashes from 11am to 6 pm.  Most crashes occur on Friday but all drivers are reminded when attending events at BGSU, to be aware of the high volume of traffic and to travel these areas with caution.

Let’s make this back to school season the safest in history!!

For More Information:

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

419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu

Pre-Fireworks at the Field House – July 3, 8 PM

This year, as we celebrate our country’s birthday, thousands of families take to their cars, driving to neighborhood cookouts, family picnics, and other summer festivities. Sadly, some of those families’ Independence Day will end in tragedy, as too many irresponsible people decide to drink and drive. Unfortunately, their bad choices have lasting effects on families.

For as many good memories as the Fourth of July holiday can provide, it can also create devastating nightmares for families who lose a loved one due to drunk driving. During the 2015 Fourth of July holiday period (6 p.m. July 2 to 5:59 a.m. July 6), 92 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .15 or higher, and 146 people died in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08. In fact, from 2011-2015, 39 percent of all traffic fatalities over the Fourth of July period occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

Join us for a family friendly event on July 3, 2017 at the Perry Field House Parking Lot beginning at 8 PM. Enjoy games, prizes, and the chance to interact with Bowling Green Fire and EMS plus officers from the Bowling Green State University Police Department.  Activities continue until the fireworks begin at 10 PM.

Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July.  Please designate a driver and make it home safe.

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

Swallow Your Pride, Call For a Ride

barcards2017Wood County Safe Communities announced today that there have been five fatal crashes in Wood County for the calendar year 2017, compared to three for the same time frame in 2016.

St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the nation’s most popular times to celebrate and party. Unfortunately, too many people are taking to the roads after drinking alcohol, making this holiday also one of the most dangerous. In fact, 30 people were killed in drunk driving crashes across the nation during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (March 16-18) in 2015. To keep the roads safer, WCSC is reaching out with an important life-saving message and warning: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Safe Communities is teaming up with local businesses and organizations for the annual Swallow Your Pride, Call for a Ride event. The coalition is offering free rides to those who are unable to drive. Don’t wait until you’ve already been drinking to make your transportation decision. There’s no such thing as being “OK to Drive.” Just one or two drinks can impair judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested or causing a crash; killing yourself or someone else if you get behind the wheel. If you find yourself unable to drive this St. Patrick’s Day, call 419-823-7765 for a FREE ride home anywhere in Bowling Green. Remember: 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.
  • Help those around you be responsible, too. Walking while intoxicated can be deadly, as lack of attention could put you at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.
  • 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.

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

For More Information:

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

The Most Important Player for the Super Bowl – A Designated Driver

Football fans across the country will celebrate America’s most watched national sporting event, Super Bowl LI, on Sunday, February 5. For many, this celebration includes drinking alcohol.

Drunk driving can be deadly. A driver is considered alcohol-impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, but even a small amount of alcohol can impair judgment and reaction times enough to make driving unsafe. According to NHTSA, in 2015 10,265 people—29 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States—were killed in crashes that involved an impaired driver.

Super Bowl Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. If you want to be the MVP of Super Bowl LI, volunteer to be a designated driver to help your family and friends get home safely. Drunk driving only leads to disaster and tragedy. It is never worth the risk. If you do plan to drink, remember to pass the keys to a sober driver before kickoff.

Designated sober drivers for Super Bowl weekend should refrain from drinking alcohol and enjoy the game with food and non-alcoholic drinks instead. They can tweet @NHTSAgov during Super Bowl LI to be featured on NHTSA’s national Wall of Fame. It would be great to see designated drivers from Wood County on the Wall of Fame, tag us @SafeCommWC as well.

This Super Bowl weekend, be a team player and help keep impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel. Designate your sober driver before the big game begins and remember: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

For More Information:

  • William Bowers, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
  • Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator: 419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu

Thanksgiving Crash Statistics

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.