COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio lawmakers are trying to prevent road worker deaths and injuries by requiring a driving safety course if you speed or crash in a construction zone.
Speeding or looking down at your phone — even for one second — can be deadly.
"The eyes are everything when it comes to driving," DriveTeam instructor Thurston Voisine said.
We're just three months into 2025, and already, about 150 people have died in car crashes in Ohio. And state data shows that deaths in work zones increased by nearly 150% from 2023 to 2024. The number jumped from nine to 22.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) reported that nearly 1.3 million crashes have taken place since 2020 — with more than 8,000 injuries and 101 deaths in work zones. Already in 2025, there have been 380 crashes and two deaths due to work zone incidents.
"A lot of times, people are looking at what [ODOT workers, police, tow trucks] are doing, so their car starts to drift over," Voisine said.
But a new bill in the House aims to save lives.
State Reps. Gary Click (R-Sandusky) and Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe) introduced H.B. 82, increasing penalties for traffic violations in work zones.
"What this bill really focuses on, more than anything else, is education because people just breeze by these construction zones," Click said.
If you speed or cause a crash, not only will you face existing driving penalties, but you will also need to complete a driving safety course. If you don’t complete it, you’ll be fined $400.
A second offense within five years would mean additional driving training and possibly a 90-day license suspension. If you don't do it, you will also be charged another $400.
A third or more time offending within five years would mean even more training and a possible year-long suspension. As expected, the $400 fine would be added.
"While we cannot eliminate risk, we can reduce it," Johnson said. "We cannot prevent every accident, but we can lower the numbers through incentives and education."
The bill would also allow ODOT to install video cameras to monitor construction zones.
"Hopefully, you just put something in your mind where you begin to think and realize somebody's life is at stake," Click added.
This bill is a compromise from the last General Assembly's H.B. 429.
While the former bill had thousands of dollars in additional fines, this one focuses on teaching how to drive.
RELATED: Lawmakers want to increase fines in construction zones after 34 ODOT workers struck so far this year
However, state Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) questioned the sponsors, asking why this was needed since the state already has safety regulations.
"The only thing difference from what I'm seeing in our Ohio Revised Code is that we're adding on cameras," Brent said. "And then where's the money at going to go to pay for these cameras?"
Click said ODOT and contractors would. These cameras could be used for investigations, but they wouldn’t be used for speeding tickets.
"Respectfully, representative, I hate those," state Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) said, to laughter. "If that was in this bill — we can stop it right here."
Education at any age is important, Voisine said, and he supports mandatory driving training.
"Even with me being a driving instructor for 18 years, I'm still learning and I still train myself on my skills and make sure I'm better," he said.
The bill will continue to be heard in the coming months.
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