OH - 04/29 to 05/31 Highway Enforcment Blitz

[StlouisX50]

Troopers target dangerous roadways
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Mark Puente
Plain Dealer Reporter

The 68 deaths in accidents on Cuyahoga County roadways last year were the most of any county in the state. This week, state troopers plan to target the problem areas.

Starting Monday and through the next five weeks, the State Highway Patrol will police five stretches of Cuyahoga County highways between 2 and 8 p.m. in an effort to reduce crashes that kill and injure.

The targeted areas of Interstate 480 and Interstate 90 run through Cleveland, Brooklyn, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights and Warrensville Heights.

Over the last four years, about 14,000 accidents and 29 deaths occurred on those stretches.

Last year during the same five-week period as this year's enforcement effort, 543 accidents occurred; 76 percent of those crashes happened between 2 and 8 p.m., the patrol said.

Troopers will be visible.

They plan to use their cars, planes, motorcycles and motor carrier enforcement units and will partner with local police.

"We don't hide behind things," said Lt. Tony Bradshaw, patrol spokesman. "We try to be out in the forefront."

Troopers do not usually patrol inside Cuyahoga County, but the high number of deaths on interstates is alarming, Bradshaw said.

Statewide, deaths have dropped in rural areas but not in urban regions. Last year, deaths increased to 189 in Northeast Ohio, an almost 11 percent jump from 2005, the patrol said.

The patrol used a similar program last year in Cincinnati, and it had a "huge impact" on reducing crashes and speeding, Bradshaw said.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mpuente@plaind.com, 440-324-3773

[TSi+WRX]

^ Thank you for the update.

Now this one *does* hit home.

I'll update friends, family, as well as my local enthusiast club.

Thanks again,
-A 8)

[crabbyman]

Thanks for the tip...got me scared for a bit there. I will be traveling on I-70, I-75, and I-275 on my way to Cinci in the coming weekends and this caught my eye. Looks like it wont affect me at all.

[TSi+WRX]

Again, thanks for posting this, StlouisX50. After I cross-posted to our local auto-enthusiast Forum, it would seem that not all of us were aware of this enforcement blitz.

One of our locals, who is an active LEO in the area, is warning fellow drivers to cut back to stay within 7 MPH of the posted limit during enforcement times and in enforced zones, particularly if you drive a more noticeable/"targeted" type vehicle (i.e. sports-car, Import Sport-Compact, musclecar, "crotch-rocket" bike, etc.).

However, he speculates that the majority of citations will be handed-out specifically for dangerous/aggressive driving.

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PS: StlouisX50, I hope you don't mind, but I also cross-posted this to my Metro-Cleveland thread in the "Local & Regional" sub-Forum. ops: Full credit was given to you, of course, and original thread cited.