Friday, January 07, 2000
Rural-crash fatalities fall in Ky.
BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
For the third year in a row, more than 1,000 people were killed in crashes on rural roads in Ohio.
Kentucky roads, though, saw fewer fatalities in 1999 and Indiana's fatalities stayed about even, according to preliminary reports.
Early numbers for 1999 show 1,003 people died as a result of crashes on Ohio's rural roads, roads outside city limits. And that number could go up as more reports come in from around the state or as others die of injuries from 1999 crashes.
“Seat-belt compliance in fatal crashes has been low,” said Sgt. Gary Lewis, a spokesman with the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Co lumbus. In 1998, 1,007 people died on Ohio's rural roads. In 1997, 1,010 people died on rural roads.
Seat belts can cut risks by half. But compared with the national average, fewer people in the Tristate wear seat belts.
Nationwide, 70 percent of people wear a restraint, according to a March report by the U.S. Department of Transportation. In Indiana, the number drops to 61.8 percent. In Ohio, 60.6 percent of people use seat belts or child safety seats. In Kentucky, only 54.3 percent use belts.
Kentucky made a push again last year to try to make people more conscious of seat belts through its Buckle up for Bucks program, said Lt. Kevin Payne. State troopers passed out tickets to people wear ing seat belts, who could mail them in to be eligible for a drawing in February when police will award a $3,000 first-place prize, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place.
Lt. Payne hopes more people wearing seat belts was a factor in fewer deaths on Kentucky roads last year.
Preliminary numbers show 806 people were killed on Kentucky roads in 1999. That's down from the 869 in 1998 and 865 in 1997.
Indiana's preliminary numbers show that deaths on Indiana's urban and rural roads stayed about the same. Indiana State Police so far have 973 urban and rural fatalities reported for 1999. There were 982 in 1998 and 940 in 1997.
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