Photos Courtesy of New York State Police
The New York State Police and the Department of Transportation were out Tuesday working together to crack down on work zone violations and highlight the importance of safe driving through active construction and maintenance work zones. The operation termed “Operation Hard Hat” took place on State Route 13 south between North Triphammer Road in Lansing and Stewart Park in Ithaca.
Troopers were dressed as DOT workers within the work zone observing the motorists who were speeding, using their cellphones, not wearing a seatbelt and violating the state’s Move Over Law.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019 troopers issued 28 tickets in a work zone on State Route 13 between Lansing and Ithaca. Violations included:
- 12 No Seatbelt
- 4 Cellphone
- 2 Unregistered Motor Vehicle
- 1 Inadequate Exhaust
- 3 Unlicensed Operator
- 2 Uninspected Motor Vehicle
- 1 Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the third degree
- 1 No Interlock Device
- 1 Operating with More than 1 Earphone
Both emergency responders and highway workers depend on motorists to be aware of their surroundings, using patience and caution. It is critical that motorists pay attention behind the wheel and eliminate distractions, especially on interstates and other multi-lane highways.
New York’s Move Over Law requires motorists to carefully slow down and safely move over when approaching law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, and construction and maintenance vehicles stopped along the roads.
Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone, and in accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license. Work zone safety tips can be found at
https://www.ny.gov/programs/work-zone-safety-awareness.
For real-time travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or the mobile site at m.511ny.org, New York State’s official traffic and travel information source.
