By Kelly Cantwell
Editor
Clermont County has seen a small rise in motor vehicle fatalities over last year, according to recent data by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“We are seeing a spike in them this year,” said Lt. Wayne Price with the OSHP Batavia Post.
So far this year, he has seen 16 fatal crashes that killed 16 people. In 2015, there were 15 fatal crashes with 16 dead and in 2014 there were 20 fatal crashes with 26 dead.
“Obviously the numbers vary but anytime we see an increase in the number of fatal crashes obviously we’re concerned,” Price said.
He added, “We’re always trying to make the roads safer in this county and in this state.”
The department is constantly reviewing statistics to look for patterns and when they find patterns, they adjust their enforcement efforts accordingly. However, Price has not seen any consistent patterns this year.
He has seen crashes in areas that haven’t seen fatal crashes in a few years, such as Miami Township.
“It’s always evolving, it’s always moving,” Price said.
One trend that Price has seen, that he feels may come as a surprise, is so far this year, 10 of the 16 crashes have been caused by a driver who is 48 or older. Four fatal motorcycle crashes this year were caused by a 48-year-old, a 55-year-old, a 62-year-old and a 64-year-old.
Last year, eight of the 15 crashes were caused by someone age 50 or older and in 2014, eight of the 20 crashes were caused by someone age 50 or older. This is a trend Price describes as “significant.”
There continue to be crashes involving drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
“We would hope that people would make better choices,” Price said, adding that there are plenty of options for alternative transportation.
Drivers operating under the influence and drivers or passengers neglecting to wear seat belts are two of the biggest components in the department’s prevention efforts. Price does not have the numbers on how many fatal crashes this year have involved a driver under the influence, but knows that three people in fatal crashes this year did not use a seatbelt.