National Press Release

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- As the summer construction and travel season starts, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland serves as spokesperson for the Ohio Work Zone Safety Coalition's annual outreach campaign aimed at reducing motor vehicle accidents by encouraging motorists to slow down while driving through road construction sites. Governor Strickland will be featured in broadcast public service announcements across Ohio.

"Too many accidents happen needlessly in work zones because of a split second of bad judgment. Motorists are following too close, travel too fast or fail to yield," said Governor Strickland. "Traveling through construction work zones is dangerous and requires obeying the posted speed limits and paying attention to the road ahead. It's imperative that Ohio drivers slow down in work zones."

The coalition members include: the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ohio AAA, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Ohio Contractors Association, the Laborers' International Union of North America, and Ohio LECET.

Ralph Cole, Business Manager for coalition member Ohio Laborers' District Council remarked, "On behalf of our union members and every highway worker, I want to thank Governor Strickland for his support. Work zones are dangerous places and Governor Strickland understands Ohioans need to exercise caution as they drive through road construction sites."

"Governor Strickland is committed to ensuring safer construction work zones benefiting all Ohio drivers and construction workers," remarked Richard C. Murray, Director of Ohio LECET, the lead organization overseeing this year's safety campaign.

The coalition's 2005 outreach effort received the prestigious "2005 Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Award" from the American Road and Transportation Builder's Association (ARTBA) and the National Safety Council (NSC). Moreover, 2006 and 2007 Ohio Work Zone Safety Coalition safety messages have featured Ohioan and 2006 Indy 500 Winner Sam Hornish, Jr.

According to ARTBA, a highway worker or motorist is killed in a work zone every eight hours and more than 50,000 Americans are also injured in work zone accidents each year. According to statistics released by the Ohio Department of Transportation, for 2007, there were a total of 5,418 crashes in work zones on Ohio roadways. Of those crashes, 14 were fatal and 1,860 involved injuries.

SOURCE Ohio LECET