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Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Angel Food Ministries helps stretch grocery dollars
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 13-47
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
State patrol credits enforcement, fewer miles driven in summer
Published on Thursday, Dec 25, 2008
Associated Press
CLEVELAND: Ohio has seen a sharp drop in traffic accident deaths this year, in part because of stepped-up highway enforcement in big cities and a drop in summer driving because of high gas prices, the State Highway Patrol said.
Car crashes killed 1,080 motorists in Ohio through Wednesday, and the state is on track for a record yearly low in 2008, said patrol spokesman Sgt. Darren Blosser. The previous low mark was 1,239 deaths in 2006.
''Motorists can breathe a little easier,'' said AAA spokesman Brian Newbacher.
Ohio's reduction of about 13 percent exceeded the national average of about 9 percent, said Col. Richard Collins, the patrol superintendent.
Other factors included air bags, driver education programs and advances in trauma care, such as medical helicopters quickly reaching crash scenes, Collins said.
Alcohol-related traffic deaths also fell — down 10 percent in 2008 from 280 fatalities last year. Troopers arrested more than 24,000 drivers who had been drinking this year,
Collins said.
''Alcohol continues to be a problem,'' Collins said. ''It will still be a big focus.''
Seat-belt campaigns also helped in Ohio in 2008, and a state law set to take effect in March requiring that children younger than 8 ride inside booster seats will reduce deaths even further, Newbacher said.
Ohio had been one of only seven states that didn't require booster seats for children older than 3. Seat belts that don't fit young children properly can do extensive damage in accidents, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The patrol's fatal crash figures in Ohio date back to 1933. The worst year for traffic deaths was 1969, when 2,778 motorists died.
The patrol's partnership with police in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo in accident-prone areas had a huge effect, Collins said.
For example, troopers on special details on interstate highways in Northeast Ohio issued more than 6,000 tickets for speeding and arrested 525 people for drugs in 2007 and 2008. The sweeps likely had the residual effect of causing drivers to regularly reduce their speeds in those areas, Collins said.
Get the full article here.
Tell that to the family of the Medina teen who recently died because ODOT is not salting the roads.
