The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports nine fatal crashes resulting in nine deaths statewide during the 2025–2026 New Year’s holiday travel period, according to provisional statistics.
The reporting period ran from midnight Dec. 31, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. Jan. 4, 2026.
What the data shows
Seat belt use: At least one fatality involved a seat belt that was available, but not used.
Enforcement activity: Troopers made 4,470 traffic enforcement contacts, including:
– 238 OVI arrests
– 297 distracted driving citations
– 469 safety belt citations
According to the Patrol’s statewide activity map:
– At least one fatal crash occurred in Summit County
– At least one fatal crash occurred in Wayne County
– At least one fatal crash occurred in Cuyahoga County
In addition, Medina and Stark counties ranked among the busier counties for overall traffic incidents and enforcement activity during the holiday period.
Franklin County recorded the highest number of incidents statewide, followed by Lorain and Mahoning counties.
Officials say the data underscores the importance of seat belt use and avoiding impaired or distracted driving, especially during high-volume holiday travel.
