By ODOT
On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, tragedy struck the Richland County Engineers Office when employee, Trenton Gallaway, was killed in a work zone crash. Today, the Richland County Engineer’s office and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) partnered to remember Gallaway and recognize National Work Zone Awareness Week, a campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones and raise awareness of Ohio’s Move Over Law.
“State, county, municipal, and contract workers are out every day trying to provide a safe, reliable, and efficient highway system for motorists. We all need to do our part to make sure those workers get home safely every day,” said Richland County Engineer, Adam Gove.
State Representative Gary Click, Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), Ohio Laborers Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET), Ohio Contractors Association (OCA), and American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) were also in attendance and spoke about the importance of making safe driving decisions especially during construction season.
Ohio’s Move Over law applies to all roadways, from interstates to city streets and requires drivers to move over and slow down for any stationary vehicle with flashing lights on the side of the road. It can be enforced by any law-enforcement officer, including state highway patrol officers, local police, and county sheriff’s deputies.
“Safety should be every motorist’s top priority while driving,” said ODOT District Three Deputy Director, Bob Weaver. “Remember, when you’re going through these zones, the men and woman on the highway, that’s their office. And you’re driving through their office at 55-60 mph. Put that into perspective. The only wall that they have is the barrels. We want to ensure that they go home to their loved ones at the end of each day.”
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there were 4,000 work zone crashes in Ohio last year and 35% of these crashes occurred with workers present. Sadly, 22 people were killed in 21 deadly work zone crashes. Another 123 were seriously injured in 97 work zone crashes.
Speed continues to be a major factor in work zone crashes with 38% of fatal work zone crashes involved excessive speed, over the past five years.
Last summer, ODOT and the Ohio State Highway Patrol teamed up for Operation Cone Zone, an increased enforcement effort in work zones. This initiative resulted in lower numbers of crashes and fatalities compared to 2023. Plans are in place for this effort to take place again in 2025 with a focus on maintaining a visible presence in high-priority interstate work zones to enhance compliance with work zone safety laws.
Image: ODOT
Be sure to turn on the sound!
