A crackdown on work zone traffic violations took place the week of July 6 as part of the Department of Transportation’s “Operation Hardhat” initiative, which highlights the importance of safe driving practices in active construction and maintenance work zones across the state.
Members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office patrolled active highway work zones at several locations throughout Monroe County, where State Department of Transportation employees were performing maintenance and construction activities.
Deputies were present within the work zones, dressed as highway maintenance workers, to ticket motorists who disobeyed flagging personnel, sped through the work zone, or violated the state’s Move Over Law, which applies to both emergency and maintenance vehicles. A public service announcement, viewable at https://youtu.be/4cVihC2AC8Q, highlights the importance of moving over in construction work zones across the state.
The New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Police are also planning a statewide enforcement later this summer in an effort to continue promoting driver awareness and the need to follow New York’s Move Over Law.
State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Safety is always the top priority of the New York State Department of Transportation, and a big part of that is protecting the health and well-being of the dedicated men and women who work to keep our highways and bridges safe. Operation Hardhat is a hugely effective way to raise awareness about dangers our highway workers face each day they are on the job and the need for motorists to eliminate distractions and reduce speeds in work zones. I thank the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office for partnering with us on this critically important initiative.”
Monroe County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter said, “Distracted driving has unfortunately become a common threat for our New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) workers. In work zones on state roads all across our region, NYSDOT workers are put at risk of death or serious injury by individuals who make the poor decision to speed, drink and drive, text and drive, or ignore traffic laws. It is vital that the Sheriff’s Office continue its efforts to reduce distracted driving. We believe our partnership with the NYSDOT in executing Operation Hardhat will save lives by encouraging motorists to follow the law.”
New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett said, “The safety and well-being of highway and construction workers are essential as they improve the roadways of our state. It is important that motorists are aware of their responsibility to follow the rules of the road and know that violations of the Move Over Law and work zone intrusions will not be tolerated. We ask all motorists to operate safely by obeying posted speed limits, staying in designated lanes, and being cognizant of workers and equipment in work zones.”
During last year’s “Operation Hardhat” enforcement with the State Police, there were 1,048 tickets issued across the state, including 493 speed violations, 92 cell phone violations, 94 seatbelt and two child restraint violations, 72 move over violations, eight failed to obey a traffic control device, two failed to obey a flagger, two DWI, and 283 other violations.
New York’s Move Over Law requires motorists to carefully slow down and safely move over when approaching law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, and construction and maintenance vehicles stopped along the roads.
Construction and maintenance crews across the state work alongside fast-moving traffic each day, knowing their lives depend on drivers being alert, patient and cautious. It is critically important that motorists eliminate distractions, pay attention to driving and, on multi-lane highways, move over a travel lane to give highway workers room.
Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone, and in accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license. Work zone safety tips can be found at https://www.ny.gov/programs/work-zone-safety-awareness.
Provided information
