Richland County Traffic Fatality Update

December 5, 2011

The Richland County Safe Communities Coalition reports that for the month of November there was one traffic death in Richland County. There have been nine (9) total traffic-related deaths this year in Richland County.

The chart below reflects the five-year totals of traffic-related fatalities in Richland County for November and for the first eleven (11) months of the year:

According to the Federal Highway Administration’s comprehensive costs for traffic fatalities*, each fatality has a comprehensive cost of $6 million associated with it. The nine fatalities this year cost Richland County $51 million.

 December 16, 2011, to January 2, 2012, is the enhanced holiday enforcement period for drunk driving called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” According to Department of Public Safety crash statistics, last year in Ohio 431 people were killed in 393 alcohol-related crashes, with 41 of those deaths occurring between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. In 2010 in Richland County there were 167 alcohol-related crashes resulting in 88 injuries and three deaths.

 Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. If you are going to a holiday party where alcohol may be consumed, designate your sober driver before going out. If you are hosting a party, or know that someone may be impaired, take their keys and help make other arrangements to get them home safely. Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

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The “Safe Communities” program was developed through the Ohio Department of Public Safety to establish and/or expand community partnerships to create safer, healthier communities throughout Ohio.

 *The 11 comprehensive cost components include property damage; lost earnings; lost household production (non-market activities occurring in the home); medical costs; emergency services; travel delay; vocational rehabilitation; workplace costs; administrative costs; legal costs; and pain and lost quality of life. 

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