LIMA, OHIO (WLIO) - The night before Thanksgiving is the top drinking night of the year, and law enforcement is urging those who drink to find a safe way home.
Deputies will be paying close attention to violations such as failure to yield, speeding, and distracted driving, all of which are leading factors in fatal crashes.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, along with local law enforcement, will be out patrolling over the Thanksgiving weekend for driving violations and drivers under the influence. Deputies will be paying close attention to violations such as failure to yield, speeding, and distracted driving, all of which are leading factors in fatal crashes. Lieutenant Nick Boes of the State Highway Patrol says to find a safe way home because officers will be out in full force.
"If you're going to drink tonight, by all means go ahead and enjoy yourself if you're of legal age, but just make sure you have a designated driver if you're going to be leaving," said Lt. Boes of the Lima Post. "Lima has plenty of options; there are plenty of taxis, Ubers, so if you can't use a friend, try to get a hold of one of those companies, and they'll hook you up. We posted overtime today, and our goal is just to make sure everyone gets to where they're going safely and has a happy holiday season."
During the 2023 Thanksgiving weekend period, Ohio saw 12 fatal crashes, with five of those crashes resulting from impaired driving. Patrols also made 326 arrests for impaired driving across the state in that same time period.
