COLUMBUS – As Ohio motorists begin planning for the upcoming New Year’s holiday weekend, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is releasing its “Top 10” Ohio counties for OVI stops made by state troopers, and felony OVI cases by state troopers.

Through November, state troopers had made 24,051 OVI arrests on Ohio roads. People who operate a motor vehicle impaired represent some of the most dangerous drivers on Ohio roads. Including all of 2005 through Nov. 22, 2006, state troopers also arrested, and removed from Ohio roads, 776 impaired drivers with four or more OVI convictions. These worst of the worst felony OVI suspects are dangerous repeat offenders who continuously jeopardize safety on Ohio roads.

“Top 10” counties for OVI stops made by Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers:
Jan. – Nov. 2006
1. Franklin County - 800 stops
2. Lorain County - 768 stops
3. Mahoning County - 670 stops
4. Stark County - 670 stops
5. Trumbull County - 652 stops
6. Clermont County - 615 stops
7. Montgomery County - 612 stops
8. Lucas County - 592 stops
9. Butler County - 569 stops
10. Clark County - 565 stops

“Top 10” counties for felony OVI cases made by Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers (suspects with 4 or more OVI convictions): Jan. 2005 – Nov. 22, 2006
1. Lorain County - 38 cases
2. Portage County - 37 cases
3. Scioto County - 34 cases
4. Stark County - 32 cases
5. Brown County - 27 cases
6. Ashtabula County - 22 cases
7. Franklin County - 21 cases
8. Athens County - 21 cases
9. Richland County - 19 cases
10. Warren County - 18 cases

State troopers expect to sustain their diligence in removing dangerous OVI drivers from Ohio roads, coming off one of the safest Christmas holiday weekends in recent history, in which there were no reported alcohol-related fatal crashes and the 383 OVI arrests made by state troopers; over 100 more OVI arrests than last year’s Christmas holiday.

The public can access state maps indicating county-specific OVI stop statistics on the Patrol’s Web site at www.statepatrol.ohio.gov. The OSU Google Earth forecast map and the Google Earth 2006 Impaired Driving Enforcement Activity map are also available at http://www.statepatrol.ohio.gov/google.htm.

The Patrol will again be using a probability forecasting model developed by The Ohio State University’s Statistical Consulting Service (SCS) to provide its personnel scientific data analysis into the causes of crashes, which will be used to enhance Patrol crash prevention strategies.

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OVI Stops by County - Map (.pdf)

Felony OVI Cases - Map (.pdf)

 

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