COLUMBUS – Extreme Driving, speeds of over 100 mph, unsafe lane changes, and other types of reckless and dangerous driving are the target of a new concentrated enforcement effort by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in five of Ohio’s major metropolitan communities beginning this weekend.

The crackdown, which will continue at least through the end of the year, is designed to focus enforcement and education resources on the worst of the worst drivers. Through this type of focused attention, the Patrol is looking to impact the fact that 20 percent of the state’s fatalities are now occurring within Ohio’s four largest metropolitan areas.

To address this alarming national trend, enforcement by troopers of Extreme Driving will combine the use of Patrol aircraft with road officers to root out one of the most dangerous elements on Ohio roadways. The effort will also look to impact the recent trend of wrong way drivers in Ohio metropolitan areas.

Among the first areas to be targeted will be the urban interstates in and around Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Akron.

“The severity and danger created by Extreme Driving has made traditional aggressive driving appear mild,” Colonel Paul D. McClellan, Patrol superintendent, said. “While many Patrol and local law enforcement partnerships, such as OhioSafe Commute, have helped with reducing tragedies on Ohio roads, the prevalence of Extreme Driving illustrates that more needs to be done.”

Colonel McClellan noted the vital importance of the general public in addressing this significant traffic safety concern. He urges motorists to report locations and times Extreme Driving is prevalent, either via the Patrol Web site, www.statepatrol.ohio.gov, or by calling their local Patrol Post at 1-877-7-PATROL. The information will be forwarded to troopers on the ground, as well as Patrol pilots flying over the effected urban areas, to target those areas and times.

Based on provisional data, last year marked the second consecutive year urban traffic crash fatalities increased in Ohio. By comparison, Ohio rural traffic fatalities, where two-thirds of all traffic deaths occur, decreased last year.

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Note to video editors: For b-roll video of Extreme Driving, contact the Patrol’s Public Affairs Unit at 614-752-2792.

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