Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, local law enforcement agencies warn of summer driving (original) (raw)

Memorial Day kicked off the busy summer travel season in Ohio, including in Lorain, Erie, Cuyahoga and Huron counties.

Local law enforcement have issued a safety warning before you hit the road.

According to the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the deadliest days for driving in the Buckeye State and beyond are between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

In Ohio, 370 people were killed state-wide during that time-frame between those holidays on Ohio roads in 2025, according to troopers.

Each year, roadway deaths during that period account for one-third of all fatalities for the whole year, troopers added.

In Lorain County, seven people were killed in just 11 days from Memorial Day to June 4 in 2025, according to Highway Patrol Sgt. Ryan Perpura, who monitors highway trends in numerous counties, including Erie County.

Reports from AAA suggests that the biggest travel surge of the year happens during summer with a lot more people on the roads, especially many new and inexperienced teen drivers.

According to the National Road Safety Foundation, teens account for a “staggering” 20% of those fatal crashes.

More teens are out of school for summer which puts more teens behind the wheel, authorities said.

“Share the road, watch out for motorcycles, bicyclists, e-bike riders and pedestrians enjoying the outdoors, plus look twice before entering roadways or changing lanes,” said Avon Lake Police Department Lt. Jim Valencic.

Authorities said state Route 57 just north at state Route 254 in Lorain is especially concerning, according to Lorain County Sheriff’s Office Major A.J. Torres.

“Too many people go too fast going north on Route 57 at that busy intersection, and when a motorcycle or car comes flying at you at 100 mph or more, it’s like a bullet,” Torres said. “Going that fast means you don’t have enough time to brake before impact, and if a deer, vehicle or bicycle comes out, there’s no time to stop.”

Warm temps, dangerous attitudes

Law enforcement officials said there is something about the first wave of warmer weather, and summertime weather that can bring out the worst driving in many people.

“Summer speeding is a real issue, more cookouts means more drinking for some drivers, and speeding in general goes up,” Torres said. “Think about getting home safely for yourself and others on the roads, because there’s nothing worse than getting a call from law enforcement saying your loved one was killed in a wreck on the highway.”

Teen drivers are three times more likely to be in a car crash than older drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

On average, 35% of males between the ages of 15 and 20 were speeding during a fatality, and 17% of women in that age group were speeding, the Safety Foundation reported.

While the drinking age in Ohio is 21 years old, the Safety Foundation also found that 30% of males between the ages 15 and 20 drink and drive.

According to local law enforcement, 60% of teen crashes including distracted driving include speed, using cell phones, eating, drinking and reaching for the radio.

The Safety Foundation advises that one of the key factors to safe teen driving is to not pile people into your vehicle.

“Besides slowing down and wearing a seat belt, don’t jam too many people in the car which leads to a dramatic increase in distracted driving crashes,” the Safety Foundation said

Each state has its own guidelines on how many teen drivers can have in a car at one-time.

Motorcyles crashes

Summer means a very large increase in motorcycles on the roads and the number of crashes caused by motorcyclists rises sharply, according to authorities.

“Motorcyclists need to adhere to speed limits, and all drivers need to be extra attentive to motorcyclists, because people striking them also rises in the summer,” Torres said.

Adults also account for an increase of deadly crashes from distracted driving, speeding, and drinking and driving, officials add.

The Highway Patrol reports that the July 4 weekend is the deadliest of holiday weekends.

Troopers advise motorists to call #677 to report impaired drivers.