File Photo Signs are installed along the Belmont County Distracted Driving Safety Corridor along Interstate 70. The Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Transportation report a decrease in accidents with injuries and fatalities since it was established in August.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Officials announced the number of traffic crashes involving injuries and fatalities have declined along Interstate 70 and Interstate 470 in Belmont County.

In August, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Transportation established a Distracted Driving Safety Corridor to create awareness and discourage distracted driving in that area.

Numerous signs are posted along the corridor, which spans a total of 27 miles between Interstates 70 and 470, to alert motorists when they enter the corridor.

Lt. Maurice Waddell, commander of the patrol’s St. Clairsville Post, said focused enforcement and visible warnings to drivers to concentrate while behind the wheel have made the roadways safer for everyone. The safety corridor has been a positive influence on motorists, he said.

“I think the corridor has definitely been a deterrent for people coming through the area. These signs are warning motorists that there’s zero tolerance and, for the most part, everybody is being cautious as they’re coming through the zone,” he said.

Since the corridor was implemented, there have been eight crashes with injuries or fatalities, according to the patrol. The number of crashes has been significantly reduced from previous years, Waddell said. During the same time frame, from August to December, in 2019 there were 25 crashes with injuries or fatalities and 24 in 2018.

“The fatal and injury crashes are down by around 68 percent from the same time period from the previous year,” he said. “We wanted to see if there was a big change, and there actually was.”

Waddell said the total number of crashes also declined by approximately 42 percent from the previous year — from 109 total crashes in 2019 to 63 in 2020.

Waddell said traffic volume has only decreased slightly compared to last year. According to ODOT traffic monitoring reports, the overall traffic volume decreased by 2 percent between August and mid-December in 2019.

As we enter a new year, troopers want to remind motorists to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

“We don’t want anybody getting distracted at all. Always keep your eyes on the road, buckle up, and drive sober,” Waddell said, noting that distracted driving is dangerous for all motorists on the road.

The patrol encourages the public to dial #677 to report dangerous or impaired drivers, as well as drug activity.