COLUMBUS – Walking is a little safer in Ohio this year but authorities are warning both drivers and pedestrians to remain vigilant.
Accidents involving cars and pedestrians have decreased somewhat but they are still a concern.
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office, says speeding has increased since the pandemic, when there were fewer cars on the roads, and police enforcement also dropped, spokeswoman Judy Converse said.
“Roads kind of became more open for drivers, and drivers just felt more comfortable with traveling at a faster speed. The goal is just to prevent crashes by changing driver behavior – and then, just putting safety in the hands of each individual road user” says the office’s public information officer, Judy Converse.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, 752 pedestrian-involved crashes had been reported in the state even before Memorial Day weekend, 43 of which resulted in a death.
That works out to an average of more than five per day, compared to just over six-and-a-half pedestrian-involved accidents per day in 2022.
The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that Ohio pedestrian fatalities were 17% higher in 2021 than they were in 2020.