OVI Offenses in Kent Decrease

In a college town, the downtown scene is often buzzing on the weekend and despite driver education, some motorists still choose to get behind the wheel after one too many drinks.

But the number of intoxicated drivers in Kent has drastically decreased recently.

In 2013, there were 188 OVI offenses in Kent compared to 295 in 2008. That’s a 36% decrease over the course of just five years.

And the number is still continuing to fall. As of November 26, there were 154 DUI offenses in Kent, with only 35 days remaining in the year.

But the number of OVI offenses isn’t the only thing falling. Jim Swanson of Townhall II believes that there are many factors going into the decreased number of OVI offenses in Kent including a lowered unemployment rate.

“Usually when jobs go down, drinking and drug use go up,” said Swanson.

And the correlation is apparent. In 2008, over 2.6 million jobs were lost across the nation. From 2008 to 2009, the unemployment rate in Ohio skyrocketed from 6.6% to 10.2%.

The unemployment rate has slowly been going down in Ohio. In 2013, it was at 7.4%, and as of October 2014, was at 5.3%.

If unemployment rates continue to go decrease, the number of intoxicated drivers on the road may follow.