Many Ohio motorists get irritated with road construction. It slows traffic and often requires roadways to go down to one lane. This causes some drivers to attempt to get around the bulk of the traffic ahead of them by speeding through the work zones and cause car accidents.
For instance, the construction zone in which work is still underway on Interstate 270 here in Ohio sees numerous car crashes. Reports indicate that police have responded to approximately 120 crashes between Nov. 2017 and March. One family lost a loved one last fall to an accident in a construction zone caused by a drunk driver.The victim was working construction in the area at the time.
Having a patrol car parked in these zones as a deterrent has become too dangerous for the officers in some places, so the Ohio State Patrol decided to try another tactic in this Columbus construction zone — helicopters. The officers in the helicopter use radar to tag speeders and then relay information to patrol officers on the ground. The hope is that more speeders will receive tickets to deter their behavior and that the presence of the chopper will act as a deterrent. Only time will tell how successful the measure is.
Regardless of what construction zone individuals drive through here in Ohio, they could end up the victim of an impatient speeder. If that happens, they may be entitled to pursue restitution for their medical bills, lost income and other damages often suffered in high-speed car accidents. Road construction workers may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits under these circumstances, but may also file third party claims against the drivers who negligently put their lives at risk.
