Drugs and alcohol were the main causes of Portage County fatal crashes in 2023, report finds

Drugs and alcohol were involved in nearly half of Portage County’s fatal vehicle crashes in 2023, according to statistics released by the Portage County Fatal Crash Review Board on Jan. 15.

In 2023, there were 19 fatal crashes and 19 related deaths in Portage County, with all of the fatal crashes occurring between Jan. 23 and Sept. 28. These numbers are up from 2022, when there were 16 fatal crashes and 18 related deaths.

Although not all toxicology results have been received, at least three fatal crashes involved drugs and six fatal crashes involved alcohol; the average BAC (blood alcohol content) for the year was 0.2. The legal BAC limit in Ohio is 0.08.

The leading contributing causes of fatal crashes in Portage County in 2023 were “driving off roadway” and “failure to yield,” with five crashes due to each. Other prominent contributing causes included “unsafe speeds,” “left of center,” and “improper turns”.

Other 2023 figures released by the review board include:

– Five fatal crashes involving motorcyclists, with the rider at fault in four of them.

– Three fatal crashes involving commercial vehicles where the commercial drivers were not at fault.

– 17 of the 19 crashes occurred on rural roads.

– Of the 19 traffic-related deaths, 15 were drivers, two were passengers and two were pedestrians.

– 37% of at-fault drivers involved in fatal crashes were over the age of 55, and 16% were under the age of 24.

With four consecutive years of over 17 traffic-related deaths in Portage County, the fatal review board has recommended continuous traffic safety education and enforcement of Ohio traffic laws, including distracted driving, seat belt usage, sharing the roadways and impaired driving.

The Portage County Fatal Review Board is a requirement of Safe Communities (a program of the Portage County Health District) and is responsible for reviewing fatal crashes, identifying trends and recommending countermeasures.