The Ohio Department of Transportation recently announced the new construction plans for the state will be close to $2.1 billion toward road and bridge projects.
What does this mean for Ohio drivers?
If you live in Ohio, especially the Cleveland area, orange construction barrels seem to swarm each road. Construction is nothing new, yet many drivers proceed with limited to no caution through construction zones.
In 2015 there were 30 fatalities and 1,000 injuries in Ohio construction zones.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, last year was the highest in construction zone injuries and fatalities in over a decade. These numbers alone revived the Ohio’s Move Over Law campaign (recently revised to cover construction, maintenance and safety crew workers in 2013).
The announcement of Ohio’s $2.1 billion construction plans will increase the number of construction work zones on our roads.
What does more construction mean? The possibility of more construction zone injuries and fatalities!
Drivers can take several steps to avoid work zone injuries:
Proceed with caution. Many construction zones decrease the speed limit to 50 or 55 mph; sometimes even less. Follow the posted speed limit and proceed through the work zone with caution, checking for workers on the side of the road.
Do not tailgate through a construction zone. Keep a safe distance between you and the driver in front of you. If there is an unfortunate chance that the driver in front of you needs to stop suddenly for a worker, safety stop, etc., you will have a better chance of avoiding a collision with a safe distance.
Turn on lights when driving through construction. By driving with your headlights on, workers and other drivers can see you coming. If weather causes limited visibility, your headlights could be a life-saving factor for a utility or construction worker attempting to move through the work zone.
Slow down and move over. Ohio’s Move Over Law emphasizes the safety of our city workers (construction, maintenance, police, etc). If you see a city vehicle or worker, slow down, use your turn signal, and move over a lane to ensure the pedestrian’s safety. This law applies to all state highways and interstates.
As construction barrels pop up and speed limits decrease in the months to come, follow these tips so we can reduce the number of work zone fatalities! If you or your loved one suffered an injury in a construction zone, call me immediately for your free consultation.
As your Ohio Catastrophic Injury attorney, I’ll be there for you and I’ll Make Them Pay! ®
Author: Tim Misny | For over four decades, personal injury lawyer Tim Misny has represented the injured victim in in birth injury, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury/wrongful death cases, serving “Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus, Dayton and neighboring communities.” You can reach Tim by email at misnylaw.com/ask-tim-a-question/ or call at 1 (800) 556-4769.
