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Troopers to target tailgaters on 250

By KEVIN PURDY
kevinpurdy@sanduskyregister.com

PERKINS TWP. - Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers have singled out a busy section of U.S. 250 to enforce a basic driving rule that motorists don't seem to be following -- give the car ahead some room.

Crash statistics for Erie County over the past five years indicate the section of U.S. 250 between Strub Road and Bogart Road accounts for the majority of all crashes, said Lt. Greg Greggila with the Highway Patrol's Sandusky post.

Of the 174 crashes on that section since 2000, 47 percent -- or 82 crashes -- were caused by motorists following too closely. That's "failure to stop in an assured clear distance ahead" as it appears in reports, and on traffic citations.

To counteract the trend, troopers will "aggressively target" the area, starting Wednesday through the end of Cedar Point's "HalloWeekends" in October. Greggila says that means a trooper will be posted there during the busy hours, sometimes using spare federal overtime funds.

"We may not be making the point to people that following too closely can quickly lead to an accident," Greggila said. "They'll often say they've only been following closely for a short period of time, but that's when the accident happens."

Ohio Department of Transportation officials have identified the section of U.S. 250 between Bogart Road and U.S. 6 as a problem area, and one of the 200 worst traffic corridors in the state.

Solutions proposed have included changes to traffic signals and intersections, adding more and bigger signs, and modifying the Ohio 2 interchange.

Greggila admits that enforcing bumper distance, as opposed to something like speed, will likely be more difficult on a road busy with tourist traffic. But troopers will still be looking.

"It's a difficult area to work," Greggila said. "But we're hoping that our appearance there will have an impact. We'll still write citations if we see a problem."

A driver cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance ahead in Perkins Township faces fines of up to $100, or $120 if they cause an accident.

The post's statistics also showed that driver inattention was a major secondary factor in crashes that resulted from following too closely. That often means people from outside the area looking at printed driving directions, cell phones or looking for direction signs, Greggila said.

Over the last five years, the most crashes on U.S. 250 have occurred between 10 a.m.-noon and then 4-6 p.m. The most crash-prone day was Saturday, followed by Friday, Thursday, and then Wednesday.

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