The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently announced it will provide $54 million through the Highway Safety Improvement Program to fund dozens of transportation safety projects in 30 counties.
The projects are aimed at preventing pedestrian-involved accidents and roadway departure crashes. The fatalities from both types of collisions have increased in recent years.
When compared to 2013, 88 more pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2021 and 77 more in 2022.
When compared to 2013, 127 more people were killed in roadway departure crashes in 2021 and 112 more in 2022.
The projects receiving funding should lower fatalities by improving lighting, removing deep ditches, flattening slopes, widening shoulders, and installing rumble stripes, speedbumps, high-visibility crossings, advanced yield markings, and pedestrian-activated signals near schools.
“With Ohio’s new distracted driving law, we’re beginning to see drivers’ focus return to the roads, but we must also ensure that the roads themselves are structurally safe as well,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “The infrastructure projects we’re funding today will be designed to help prevent deadly crashes.”
This is the program’s second round of funding. Projects in 32 counties received $51 million in May 2022.
DeWine signed a bill earlier this year that strengthens laws related to the use of cell phones and other electronic devices while driving.