The effort follows a Dayton Daily News review of traffic crash records earlier this month that showed several trouble spots on I-675.
There are about 500 crashes annually on I-675 and 25 percent of those result in injuries, said Sgt. Chris Colbert, assistant commander of the Dayton Post. “That’s significantly higher than a lot of routes in our area,” he said.
Troopers will focus on aggressive driving, excessive speed, improper lane changes and drivers who follow other drivers too closely, which are the top causes of crashes on I-675, said Lt. Marty Fellure, Xenia Post commander.
“No overtime is being spent, but at the same time you’ll probably see more troopers just in a concentrated area,” Fellure said.
Troopers plan to contact local law enforcement agencies to see if they want to participate in the effort. “If their manpower is willing we would welcome them out there,” Fellure said.
High visibility highway enforcement efforts have a residual effect that usually last for several months, which could reduce crashes into the upcoming holiday season, Colbert said.
In another effort to reduce crashes in the area, the Ohio Department of Transportation has installed a median cable barrier system on I-675 in Greene County, with grading and seeding still to be completed, said Sharon Smigielski, an ODOT spokeswoman.
The barriers help prevent cars from crossing the median into oncoming traffic. They extend north from the Montgomery County border to just beyond Grange Hall Road, she said.
Barriers were not installed further north to the Clark County border because the width of the median in that area is sufficient for cars to stop, Smigielski said.
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