Gov. Mike DeWine: Road safety upgraded with cutting-edge tech

TLDR: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced a new technology initiative aimed at reducing crashes on state highways. The Automated Traffic Queue Warning System will use camera systems to detect slow or stopped traffic and send a signal to message boards to alert approaching drivers. The technology is expected to cut rear-end crashes by 16%. The first system has already been activated on I-70 westbound in Licking County, and installations are underway at 13 highway sites across the state. The Ohio Department of Transportation expects the remaining systems to be operational within the next two years. DeWine believes that distracted driving is a major cause of crashes and commends the state’s distracted-driving law for helping to reduce these incidents. Rear-end crashes dropped during the pandemic but have increased again, with 8,811 crashes reported last year compared to 6,624 in 2020.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced a new technology initiative aimed at reducing crashes on state highways. The Automated Traffic Queue Warning System will use camera systems to detect slow or stopped traffic and send a signal to message boards to alert approaching drivers. The technology is expected to cut rear-end crashes by 16%. The first system has already been activated on I-70 westbound in Licking County. Installations are underway at 13 highway sites across the state, with the Ohio Department of Transportation expecting the remaining systems to be operational within the next two years.

The initiative comes as a response to a rise in rear-end crashes, with 8,811 crashes reported last year compared to 6,624 in 2020. Governor DeWine believes that distracted driving is a major cause of crashes and commends Ohio’s distracted-driving law for helping to reduce these incidents. Since the law went into effect, distracted-driving crashes have fallen about 50%. However, during the pandemic, rear-end crashes did decrease, and the state transportation department believes that drivers not paying attention is a major reason for these incidents.