State troopers are out in full force

The issues troopers say they are coming across so far are: failure to stop, distracted driving and people just not buckling up.

It’s a big travel weekend and state troopers are out in full force.

The issues troopers say they are coming across so far are: failure to stop, distracted driving and people just not buckling up.

Toll booth operators say traffic along the turnpike is pretty busy and state troopers are watching.

Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald says they’re working overtime.

“We have more units out here on the road,” said Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald with Toledo Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. “Look for our aggressive violations, try to deter more of distracted driving violations, make sure people are wearing their safety belts and prevent crashes.”

We caught up with newlyweds travelling back from their honeymoon in South Carolina. Both say they’ve seen a big difference in patrols when they hit Ohio.

“On the way down we saw state troopers in Tennessee and on the way back they were enforcing the law in Ohio, lots of them,” said Dan Cameron, a Michigan resident.

Sgt. Fitzgerald says speeding is always a big factor they deal with

“The fail to yield violations, distracted driving; those are the problems we are running into right now as far as our crashes,” added Sgt. Fitzgerald.

According to the OSHP September Traffic Safety Bulletin report which combines crash statistics over the last four years, Franklin County tops the state with the most accidents each year. Lucas County comes in 5th place, reporting an average of more than 13,000 accidents every year.

For troopers, September is also “Safe Driving Awareness Month” in Ohio. This campaign is aimed at reducing deadly crashes by practicing safe driving habits live buckling up.

If you spot any reckless or impaired drivers, state patrol says you can report it by calling them at #677.