On behalf of Weisman, Kennedy & Berris Co., L.P.A. posted in car accident on Thursday, July 5, 2012.

Today, many of us are likely tired, having stayed up late watching fireworks, sitting around a bonfire and finding other ways to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday. Hopefully, tired is about as bad as it gets for the majority of Ohio residents and few people are living with having been injured in a car accident over the holiday.

Just as Independence Day fireworks and sparklers are commonplace, so too, sadly, are car accidents caused by alcohol. Too many people celebrate their days off with alcohol and then get caught up in the fun and forget the severity of drunk driving. Last year, almost 600 drivers were arrested in Ohio for suspicion of driving drunk between July 1 and July 4.

Being that it is only one day after the holiday, sources do not yet have the number of supposed drunk drivers arrested this year. If this year’s traffic accident trends foreshadow what numbers will be reported, then there could be some bad news with regards to traffic safety in Ohio.

While 2011 reportedly was one of the safest years on record on Ohio roads, 2012 is shaping up to be less impressive. Crash fatalities have been on the rise in the state this year and that’s without adding some of the most dangerous times of year into the mix, including Independence Day and the various other holidays that remain before us this year.

During both 2011 and this year, OVI arrests have increased in Ohio, leading to a reduction in the number of OVI accidents in the state. When reports of this past holiday’s drunk driving arrests and accidents are released, we will post an update.

Source: Newsnet5, “2011 crash fatalities hit historic low; 2012 fatalities on the rise in Ohio,” Tina Kaufman, July 4, 2012