According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, there has been a 25 percent increase in “drugged” driving crashes in the state over the past four years.

Already this year, there have been more than 3,500 drugged crashes throughout Ohio. That’s why ODOT and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are urging drivers to be aware of the threat of impaired drivers and to start talking about the drug abuse epidemic.

This comes just in time for two of the busiest travelling seasons — Thanksgiving and Christmas.
ODOT and the OSHP will be utilizing the state’s 130 freeway message signs, as well as portable highway signs, to raise awareness about the growing drugged driving problem. The highway signs will display messages alerting travelers to the crashes and urge people to make it a topic of conversation, a reference to the state’s Start Talking Initiative that encourages parents and community leaders to talk to their children about the dangers of drug use.

“Law enforcement officers, first responders, tow truck drivers and the majority of our workers here at ODOT do their jobs alongside our roads and highways. Their safety is at risk every time someone gets behind the wheel while impaired,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. “There is so much that needs to be done to address this problem, but one way we can start is by talking to young people about the dangers of drug use and impaired driving.”

And it’s not only state workers and those who drive for a living who are at risk from impaired drivers, but each and every person on the roadways. As long as there are people who do drugs and get behind the wheel, you’ll be at risk every time you take your child to school, every time you go to the grocery store, every time you go to work or go on a family vacation.

Hopefully with initiatives like Start Talking, the number of impaired drivers on the roads will be reduced. But until then, if you see an impaired driver, report it immediately to the state patrol by dialing #677. It could save a life this holiday season.