“There will be more enforcement up on (Interstate) 75, and really all the streets within the city will be using some of the grant-funded overtime for OVI enforcement, distracted driving enforcement and just general traffic enforcement,” Cairns said.
Cairns’ plea with the public during a press conference on Tuesday was simple: have a plan this holiday season and keep your eyes on the road.
“If you know you’re going to go to some family members’ (homes) and there’s going to be some drinks or whatever the case may be, have a plan for how you’re going to get home,” he said. “Whether it be a ride share, whether it be a sober driver, whether you’re going to spend the night.”
Cairns’ unit investigates serious and fatal crashes. The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s public safety dashboard reports that more than 500 OVI-related crashes have been reported in Montgomery County so far this year, with 19 of these crashes being fatal.
The state patrol also reports that 480 crashes — two of which were fatal — were linked to distracted driving.
The fatal crash of a man whose van was hit by an Amazon truck in November remains under investigation by DPD.
“We’re not quite sure what the driver’s distraction was, but he obviously did not see the traffic stop in front of him, and that’s what caused that particular crash,” said Cairns.
Ohio’s distracted driving law, which went into effect in 2023, makes it illegal for drivers to hold or support a phone while driving, with few exceptions.
Cairns said the choices motorists make can lead to citations, jail time, legal expenses and a towed vehicle.
But these choices may also have permanent repercussions.
“Now there’s someone’s family that does not have a father, a son, a brother that’s going to be here for the holiday season because of that,” Cairns said.
Motorists are encouraged to report dangerous driving behavior they see on the roadways to their local police.
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