Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, along with other state officials, announced a new initiative aimed at reducing work zone crashes.
“Drivers are expected to slow down and pay attention in work zones, yet unsafe driving in road construction areas continues to be a serious problem. I’ve asked the Ohio State Highway Patrol to dedicate more resources to patrolling work zones, and troopers will have no tolerance for reckless drivers. We’re doing this not only to protect road workers but for the safety of all travelers,” said Gov. DeWine
The plan is to have more troopers monitoring work zones and increasing the use of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s (OSHP) Aviation Unit to spot dangerous drivers from the air. They will be on the lookout for violations such as speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving.
Ohio has over 500 active road construction zones, and approximately 950 road projects planned before the end of summer.
Ohio has seen roughly 26,000 work zone crashes since 2019 with over 9,000 people hurt, and many seriously injured. There have also been 99 fatalities in work zone crashes during the same time, including nine road workers.
Part of the Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT) road safety initiative comes in the form of educating the public about the importance of moving over while passing work zones.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2023, nearly 400 people died in crashes.
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Source: Ohio.gov, Mercy County Outlook
