OSHP Pushes to Increase Road Safety

Last year, traffic deaths increased for the second year in a row in Ohio. In response, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) has doubled down on efforts to increase road safety. State troopers are on high alert for dangerous traffic violations that commonly contribute to traffic deaths. In particular, Ohio highway patrols will be cracking down on drivers exceeding the speed limits and driving under the influence—two of the most common contributing factors of motor vehicle accident deaths in Ohio. Police will also be on the lookout for violators of seatbelt laws, since not wearing a seatbelt makes you about twice as likely to die in a car accident.

In addition, OSHP remains an active member of the 6-State Trooper Project. Together with Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, Ohio has committed to increase traffic safety on major highways, especially alongside shared roadways like I-75. These three enforcement areas will remain a shared enforcement priority in hopes of reducing traffic deaths.

What Has Been Done So Far—and What Will Be Done in the Future?

As a part of the OSHP 2016 push to increase road safety, state troopers have already had one recent high visibility push to crack down on violators of OVI, seatbelt, and speed limit laws. Over the weekend of February 19, OSHP officers handed down 573 speed citations, 78 safety belt citations and six OVI arrests during an enforcement action along I-75. This is likely the first of multiple such efforts that will be conducted by police during 2016.

In fact, the multi-state law enforcement partnership created by the 6-State Trooper Project has already committed to increased enforcement of traffic laws along I-75 for the entirety of this year. Ohioans in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, as well as here at home, should be aware of increased enforcement actions along major roadways. All of these efforts are intended to prevent another increase in traffic deaths in 2016 and to stop the alarming trend from going any further.

Hopefully efforts will be successful and traffic accidents will decrease in 2016. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that all fatal, or otherwise serious, accidents will be prevented altogether. For victims of serious crashes, it can be a challenge to pay medical bills and deal with the insurance while healing. An Ohio accident attorney can help take care of these stressful issues for you, so that you can concentrate on getting better. If you’ve been in a serious car accident in Ohio, call the Ohio accident attorneys at KNR today at 1-800-HURT-NOW to find out how we may be able to help.