COLUMBUS, OH (WLIO) - Ohio is deploying new technology to help prevent rear end crashes where traffic stops happen quickly because of congestion. Governor Mike DeWine and the ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks announced the installation of state of art technology at 13 highway sites that will automatically alert drivers who are miles away of any slow or stopped traffic.
The advanced cameras will monitor live traffic feeds at Ohio’s traffic management center and will detect in real time when traffic is slowing down and backing up. Then it will immediately turn on digital message to warn drivers.
Gov. DeWine said the number of rear-end crashes dropped during the pandemic but is now going back up. Last year there were more than 88 hundred rear-end crashes.
“This technology obviously does not replace the need for drivers to simply pay attention, while they're on their roads,” says DeWine. “The new tool we're announcing today can help prevent crashes. But ultimately, it's up to all of us, all of us who drive on the highways to pay attention to the road.”
Officials believe that distracted driving is a major reason why some drivers don't slow down because they're not paying attention.
