MEDINA, Ohio — The Medina Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is attempting to reduce the number of speed-related crashes that occur on Interstate 71 and OVI-related crashes that occur on U.S. Route 42 in Medina County by increasing the presence of troopers in the month of March.
Troopers said that I-71 will have an increased presence of troopers in targeted areas deemed to have high rates of crashes occurring with vehicles going 20 mph or more over the speed limit at the time of the crash.
As part of the program, troopers will focus on crash-causing violations with an emphasis on speed violations with hopes it will reduce crashes in the area and prevent speeding, OSHP said.
Traffic data indicates that I-71 was the top road for speed-related crashes in Medina County in 2020, according to OSHP.
“From 2017-2019, 1,040 people lost their lives because of speed-related traffic crashes in Ohio. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging all motorists to obey the posted speed limit and to drive within their abilities,” Lieutenant Mark Neff, Commander of the Medina Post, said in a press release. “Remember, slow down and pay attention to the roadway and do your part to make our roadways safer for everyone.”
In addition to targeting speed-related crashes on I-71, troopers will also have an increased presence on US 42 with a focus on OVI-related crashes.
Troopers will be visible in the high OVI crash areas of US 42 to reduce the amount of OVI-related crashes and mitigate impaired driving, OSHP said.
“Through continued education and awareness about the dangers of driving impaired along with high-visibility traffic enforcement, we hope to accomplish our goal of reducing OVI-related crashes and fatal crashes,” Neff said in the press release. “We can’t fight the battle against impaired driving on our own. We need everyone to make our roads safe by planning ahead to designate a driver and insisting that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up.”
Both programs targeting speed-related crashes and OVI-related crashes will begin Monday and last throughout the month of March.
