COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio State Highway Patrol released its statistics for fatal crashes during Christmas weekend and the numbers were the lowest in five years.

OSHP said that nine people were killed in eight crashes from midnight Dec. 22 to 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 25, marking the least fatalities in Ohio from crashes during the Christmas period since 2018. Last year, 12 people were killed in crashes during this holiday period.

“Those numbers are encouraging but still those are tragically lives lost on our roadways. And far too many of those crashes did involve impaired drivers and not wearing a safety belt,” OSP Sgt. Ryan Purpura said. 

Purpura said he believes the reason Ohio had less fatal crashes this year was the mild weather over the holiday weekend.

Of the eight fatal crashes, two of them occurred in Franklin County with one having two fatalities. The other fatal crashes occurred in Mercer County, Marion County, Butler County, Hamilton County, Monroe County, and Summit County. OSHP said that of the nine people killed, five were not wearing seat belt and impairment factored in two other crashes.

213 people were arrested for operating a vehicle while impaired while 21 others were arrested on illegal drug charges in Ohio. While the drug arrested were nearly identical to 2022, the OVI arrests increased by nearly 270% with only 58 made in 2022.

OSHP reports significant increases as well in distracted driving and safety belt citations. 75 distracted driving citations were issued in 2023, compared to 14 in 2022, while a 261% increase occurred in citations on safety belts from 63 last year to 228 this year.

Similar percentage changes and fatalities were reported by the OSHP during the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday period. Fatalities during Thanksgiving were also the lowest since 2018 while OVI arrests and distracted driving citations both increased year-to-year.

Purpura said planning ahead for events where one may be drinking is key.

“It really comes down to making that good choice,” Purpura said. “Start planning now. So if you do go out on New Year’s Eve you’re not tempted to get behind the wheel impaired, it’s a lot easier to make that plan now.”