Year End Results of Highway Worker Safety Programs

C.G. Hoffman

As the calendar year is drawing to a close, the state has recently released results from its highway worker safety program, initiated in April of 2023. The initiative included installing over 30 speed cameras along New York State highways and new work zone speed limits, along with “Operation Hardhat” and enhancement to the existing “Move Over” law as reported by Rockland Daily here. Government officials stressed the need for such programs, citing records that show that from 2010-2016 there were 3,450 accidents in NY highway work zones, resulting in 50 deaths and over 1,100 injuries.

Through November 22 of this year, 133,640 notices of liability were issued to motorists across the state, including 95,861 from work zones controlled by the State Department of Transportation and 37,779 from work zones along the New York State Thruway.

Of the approximately 4.9 million vehicles that passed an automated work zone vehicle in a NYSDOT work zone during the first six months of the pilot program, less than two percent were issued violations. More than 7,500 or nine percent of all NYSDOT speed violations were repeat offenders. During that period, the average speed in work zones with a posted 45 mph speed limit dropped from 47 mph in May to 43 mph in November.

Under “Operation Hardhat”, State Troopers or local police officers are dressed as highway maintenance workers in active NYSDOT or Thruway work zones across New York, identifying and citing motorists for a number of violations, including disobeying flagging personnel, speeding through work zones, cell phone and seatbelt use, and/or violations of the State’s Move Over law. In 2023, 2,919 tickets were issued by State Police and participating law enforcement agencies during 84 deployments across the state.