CLEVELAND, Ohio — As the holiday season approaches, Ohio officials are intensifying traffic safety efforts as the state approaches a potential fourth consecutive year of declining roadway fatalities.

The Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Traffic Safety Office announced a year-end enforcement and education campaign targeting behaviors commonly linked to deadly crashes like distracted driving, impairment, lack of seat belt use and speeding.

As of Thursday, 976 people have died on Ohio roads this year, compared to 1,029 at the same point last year.

Last year, 1,157 people died in traffic accidents, down from 1,242 in 2023 and 1,275 in 2022. The three-year decline follows a peak of 1,356 deaths in 2021.

“We’ve made tremendous progress in saving lives on

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