Ohio Traffic Deaths Drop for the Fourth Year as Safety Efforts Grow
Key Takeaways
- Traffic deaths in Ohio are declining, with a 3% drop in 2025 and 231 lives saved over the past four years.
- The main causes of fatal crashes are risky driving behaviors, including speeding, running off the road, distracted driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.
- Ohio is taking action through safer road designs, work zone enforcement, stricter distracted driving laws, and programs like Drive to Succeed to train young drivers.
Ohio leaders say the state is moving in the right direction when it comes to road safety, with traffic deaths dropping for the fourth year in a row.
Early numbers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol show that traffic fatalities in 2025 fell by about 3% compared to 2024, meaning 32 fewer lives were lost. This continues a steady decline that began in 2022 and adds up to 231 lives saved over the past four years.
“More people making it home safely is worth recognizing,” Governor Mike DeWine told the Ohio Department of Transportation. “But too many people are still dying on Ohio’s roads, and everyone has a part to play in making travel safer.”
Crash data shows that nearly one in four deadly crashes in 2025 happened when a vehicle left the roadway. Other common causes included failing to yield, driving too fast, crossing the center line, following too closely, and running stop signs. Officials also say distracted driving continues to be a major factor, even though it is often not fully reported.
Not wearing a seatbelt remains one of the biggest risks. Between 2021 and 2025, nearly 62% of people killed in crashes involving vehicles with seatbelts were not buckled up. That equals almost 2,500 deaths.
“Many of these crashes could have been prevented,” said Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones in a press release. “Wearing a seatbelt is just as important as slowing down, paying attention, and following the law.”
Unsafe driving remains a concern beyond everyday traffic situations, especially in work zones where drivers and road crews are especially vulnerable. In Iowa, transportation officials report ongoing issues with compliance in construction areas.
The Iowa Department of Transportation says that in 2025, nearly 7,000 citations were issued for work zone safety violations. More than 4,300 of those were for speeding through active work zones. Law enforcement also arrested three impaired drivers in work zones and investigated 16 crashes. In total, officers responded to more than 9,500 incidents that required intervention in Iowa work zones last year.
Iowa DOT officials are urging drivers to slow down, stay alert, and follow posted signs when traveling through construction zones. They stress that safe driving in these areas protects both motorists and the workers operating just feet from traffic.
Under the DeWine administration, traffic safety efforts focus on several areas at once, including reducing distracted driving, improving road design, and strengthening driver education.
One major part of that effort is the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program, which has become the largest highway safety program in the country on a per-person basis. The program funds projects at locations with a high number of crashes, such as redesigning intersections and upgrading signs and safety technology.
“Four years of declining traffic deaths means hundreds of lives saved,” said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn. “By focusing on the most dangerous locations, we’re making real improvements that help keep everyone safer on Ohio’s roads.”
Distracted driving has been a key concern for state leaders. In 2023, Governor DeWine signed a law that generally bans drivers from holding or using electronic devices while driving. Since that law went into effect in October 2023, traffic deaths have dropped 11%, or about 280 fewer fatalities, compared to the two years before enforcement began.
The state has also focused on helping new drivers gain experience and training. According to the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, lack of experience is the leading reason young drivers crash. As a result, Ohio now requires drivers ages 16 to 20 to complete driver training before taking a license test.
To help families afford that training, Governor DeWine launched the Drive to Succeed scholarship program in 2022. So far, more than 6,000 students have received scholarships to cover the cost of driving school.
“When teens learn safe driving habits early, those skills stay with them,” said Ohio Traffic Safety Office Director Emily Davidson. “Programs like Drive to Succeed make sure every young driver has the chance to learn how to make smart, safe choices behind the wheel, and that saves lives.”