Saturday, July 01, 2000
Police step up holiday patrols
On watch for speeders, drunken drivers
By Kevin Z. Smith
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Motorists are urged to use caution and common sense this July Fourth weekend as hundreds of thousands of Tristate residents take to the highways.
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10 COMMON MISTAKES
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Traffic accidents are the No. 1 cause of death and injury for people ages 15 to 20. The following are cited as the most common driving mistakes:
• Inattentiveness (due to tuning the radio, adjusting the air conditioner, talking on a cellular phone, applying makeup, etc.).
• Excessive speed.
• Failure to wear a seat belt.
• Distraction inside the vehicle.
• Inadequate defensive-driving techniques.
• Incorrect assumptions about other roadway users.
• Tailgating.
• Driving while fatigued, angry or impaired by alcohol or other drugs (including prescription drugs that can cause drowsiness).
• Failure to check blind spot before changing lanes.
• Failure to allow enough time or space to merge or exit.
Source: AAA Cincinnati
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For law enforcement agencies, the holiday weekend officially began on midnight Thursday. Almost every local agency is expected to increase patrols to keep roads safe, as well as control the large crowds expected for celebrations.
“We want everyone to enjoy the holiday and do it safely,” said Sgt. Joe Boyatt of the Blue Ash Police Department. All 50 of the department's officers will be on duty as the city holds one of the area's largest fireworks celebrations.
Since 1995, an average of 20 people have died in Ohio traffic accidents each year during the July Fourth holiday. Last year 13 motorists were killed, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Elsewhere in the Tristate:
• The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office will place as many as eight additional officers on the 8 p.m.-4 a.m. shift to catch drunken drivers. • In Cincinnati, four additional officers will be on all shifts to look for drunken driving.
• The highway patrol will put most of its resources into the area's major interstates looking for speeders, seat belt violations and erratic or dangerous driving.
“Motorists along I-75, 71 and 275 can expect to see plenty of highway patrol cars monitoring those roads,” said Sgt. Mike Asbrock of the Hamilton/Middletown detachment, noting that nine additional officers will be on the highways through midnight Tuesday.
• The Butler County Sheriff's Department is conducting a “July Fourth blitz” July 1-20, focusing on drunken driving and other hazardous driving behaviors. Patrols will be increased through July 20. • In West Chester Township, the police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint Tuesday night at an undisclosed location. • The Kentucky State Police, in association with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, will step up patrols and set up sobriety checkpoints.
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