Ohio State Highway Patrol Urges Drivers To Slow Down And Save Lives
COLUMBUS — As summer travel picks up across Ohio, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging drivers to slow down, obey posted speed limits and help prevent needless crashes on Ohio roadways.
According to the Patrol, speeding remains a leading cause of crashes, injuries and fatalities statewide. Officials say slowing down is one of the simplest and most effective actions drivers can take to protect themselves, their passengers and others on the road.
“Speed limits are chosen with one goal in mind — to keep everyone traveling on the road safe,” Governor Mike DeWine said. “By following the posted speed limit and driving responsibly, drivers can prevent needless tragedies and ensure that everyone enjoys the warm months ahead.”
From 2021 through 2025, Patrol statistics show 146,961 crashes occurred on Ohio roadways in which a driver was traveling at an unsafe rate of speed. During that same five-year period, there were 1,663 speed-related fatal crashes, resulting in 1,839 deaths.
The Ohio Statistics and Analytics for Traffic Safety, or OSTATS, crash dashboard also shows just how widespread crashes are across the state. From Jan. 1, 2021, through June 29, 2026, Ohio recorded more than 1.1 million total crashes.
The dashboard lists 269,679 crashes in 2021, 265,509 in 2022, 252,623 in 2023, 251,096 in 2024, 264,533 in 2025 and 118,028 crashes so far in 2026.
Crash severity data from the dashboard shows Ohio recorded 415 fatal crashes so far in 2026, compared to 1,241 in 2021, 1,180 in 2022, 1,150 in 2023, 1,077 in 2024 and 1,033 in 2025.
The dashboard also highlights several major crash factors across Ohio. Speed-related crashes total 160,227, while failure-to-yield-related crashes total 208,967. Other crash categories include distracted-related crashes at 51,826, OVI-related crashes at 62,224, alcohol-related crashes at 52,809, deer-related crashes at 108,181 and unbelted-related crashes at 274,955.
In terms of crash volume by roadway, Interstate 75 topped the dashboard’s list of crash routes with 33,195 crashes, followed by Interstate 71 with 25,701, Interstate 70 with 16,817 and U.S. Route 42 with 15,025.
The dashboard also shows crashes are most common during the afternoon and evening travel periods. The highest crash totals by hour were reported between 3 and 3:59 p.m. with 112,851 crashes, 4 and 4:59 p.m. with 113,335 crashes and 5 and 5:59 p.m. with 109,451 crashes.
By day of the week, Friday showed the highest total with 236,226 crashes, followed by Thursday with 217,785, Tuesday with 212,412 and Wednesday with 212,948.
“Troopers see the devastating consequences of high-speed crashes every day,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “Speeding significantly reduces your reaction time and increases the severity of a crash, which is why we will be highly visible and enforcing traffic laws on roadways across the state.”
The Patrol says posted speed limits are not suggestions. They are carefully determined based on road design, traffic volume and the surrounding environment.
Troopers will continue to monitor and enforce traffic laws throughout the summer travel season, including speed limits, in an effort to deter dangerous driving behavior. Officials say the most effective tool in preventing speed-related crashes remains the responsibility of each driver behind the wheel.
Motorists are encouraged to safely call #677 to report reckless or impaired drivers and drug activity.
