County traffic fatalities increase in fiscal 2007

10/18/2007

Fatal traffic accidents have increased in Lucas County during the 2007 fiscal year compared to last year, and 37 percent of drivers who caused the crashes were impaired with alcohol or drugs, according to a report from the county s traffic safety program.

There were 46 fatal crashes in the county that killed 51 people from October, 2006, through September, compared to the same period last year when 44 people were killed in 40 crashes.

The average blood-alcohol content for the 17 impaired drivers was 0.19 percent, or almost 2 times the 0.08 percent legal limit for Ohio drivers, the report said.

Of the 51 fatalities last fiscal year, 11 were pedestrians and nine were motorcycle operators.