Since January first there have been almost 3,000 auto accidents in construction work zones around Ohio. Some of those crashes have been fatal — and officials say most of them could have been prevented if drivers were keeping proper distance from other cars.
Since the start of the year, there have been 97 crashes in Montgomery County. Greene County has had 56 so far with one fatality, and there have been 65 crashes in Clark County. Down in Hamilton County there have been 257 crashes so far this year, with 3 fatalities.
Matt Bruning is a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. He says it’s not only drivers that are getting hurt.
“Already this year, we've had one hundred crews struck while out on the job. That compares to 125 all of last year," he says. "So unfortunately, we are on pace to eclipse that mark. And that's very concerning to us because those men and women out there on the roadways are just simply trying to do their job and they're trying to make sure the roads are safe for you and your family.”
ODOT officials are asking drivers to keep themselves and other people safe by slowing down through work zones, keeping a safe distance from the cars in front of them, and signaling those lane changes.
