BEREA, Ohio — Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published on Feb. 15, 2021.
You’ve been warned...
Troopers are boosting their presence along a nearly 30-mile stretch of the Ohio Turnpike within Cuyahoga, Summit and Portage counties as part of a distracted driving crackdown. The enforcement zone, which is in effect for the entire month of March, includes east and westbound Turnpike travel from milepost 164 to 191.
“Motorists will see an increased presence of troopers and additional electronic signage within this zone in an effort to reduce crashes and raise awareness,” authorities said Monday in a press release.
Authorities say there were 24,489 crashes involving distracted driving from 2019 through 2020 – more than 8,600 of those involved injuries.
“Driving distracted is unsafe, irresponsible and its consequences can be devastating for families,” said Staff Lieutenant William Haymaker, OSHP Turnpike Liaison. “The purpose of establishing this zone is to bring further awareness and education to the problem of distracted driving.”
You can use #677 to report dangerous or impaired drivers as well as any suspected drug activity.
“Distracted driving is any non-driving activity with the potential to distract a person from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing,” authorities explain. “Distractions can be visual, taking eyes off of the road; manual, taking hands off the wheel; or cognitive, taking the mind off the driving task. Texting while driving is an example that results in all three types of distraction.”
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published on Dec. 15, 2020.