The Ohio State Highway Patrol warned drivers before the holiday not to get behind the wheel while impaired, and it looks like motorists took notice. Over the Fourth of July holiday troopers were out in full force removing impaired drivers from Ohio’s roads.

During the holiday reporting period, which started Friday, July 1, at midnight and ran through Monday, July 4, at 11:59 p.m., the Patrol made 26,010 enforcement stops, an increase of 13.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Of those stops, 590 were for impaired driving, a decrease of 21 arrests when compared to the same period in 2010.

“The fact that we stopped more vehicles this holiday weekend and saw a decrease in OVI (operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs) arrests, shows that motorists were listening to our warning and made a conscious choice to not drink and drive,” said Col. John Born, superintendent of the OSHP. “However, 590 drivers made the wrong choice and illustrates that we have to continue to educate the public about the dangers of impaired driving.”

Scioto County recorded 711 stops, while Adams County recorded 216, Lawrence County, 593, and Pike County, 167.

Eleven drug-related arrests were made in District 9, which includes Scioto County.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.