Governor Hochul Highlights Continued Success of "Operation Hardhat" Enforcement Initiative to Protect Workers in Highway Work Zones

 With 3,062 Traffic Violations Issued Across New York State in State Work Zones, Governor Reminds Motorists to Slow Down When Encountering Work Zones on Highways

Initiative Between State and Local Law Enforcement, Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority Aims to Keep Highway Workers Safe

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies issued a record 3,062 tickets from April 1 to November 17 of this year as part of Operation Hardhat. Through the ongoing initiative, state and local law enforcement entities have worked with the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Thruway Authority to crack down on work zone violations and highlight the importance of safe driving when encountering construction, maintenance, and emergency operations along state highways. This year's Operation Hardhat ticketed violations total eclipses last year's total of 2,336 tickets.

"Our highway maintenance workers put their safety on the line every day to keep New Yorkers moving," Governor Hochul said. "Thank you to our partners in law enforcement for their ongoing commitment to protect our highway workers through 'Operation Hardhat' and urge motorists across the state to obey the rules in a work zone. It's not a suggestion - it's the law - and here in New York we have zero tolerance for negligent behavior that endangers our highway work crews."

The 3,062 tickets issued during Operation Hardhat this year included the following violations:

• Speeding - 1,209
• Cell Phone - 426
• Seatbelt - 297
• Failure to Move Over - 124
• Failure to Obey Traffic Control Device - 15
• Unsafe Lane Change - 9
• Failure to Obey Flagger - 4
• Other Violations - 978

Other violations may include but are not limited to tickets issued for cracked windshield, headlight, inspection, exhaust, and unlicensed operation.

Violations by region were distributed as follows:

• Long Island - 458
• Poughkeepsie/Hudson Valley - 442
• Thruway - 381
• Syracuse/Central New York - 348
• Utica/Mohawk Valley - 337
• Albany/Capital Region - 288
• Binghamton/Southern Tier - 229
• Rochester/Finger Lakes - 172
• Hornell/Western Southern Tier - 156
• Watertown/North Country - 145
• Buffalo/Western New York - 106

Under Operation Hardhat, members of state and local law enforcement agencies patrol Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority work zones to enforce work zone speed limits and ensure that motorists are obeying flagging personnel. Police officers are present within the work zones, dressed as highway maintenance workers, to identify motorists who are distracted by electronic devices while driving, disobey flagging personnel, speed through the work zone or violate the state's Move Over Law, which applies to both emergency and maintenance vehicles.

This effort is further highlighted every year during National Work Zone Awareness Week, which has been recognized by the Federal Highway Administration since 2000 and which took place this year from April 11 to 15.

At the 2021 Great New York State Fair, Governor Hochul, DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, and Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew Driscoll unveiled a Highway Workers Memorial to honor transportation workers who lost their lives on the job. This permanent exhibit is located just outside the midway entrance at the fairgrounds, serving as a reminder of the individuals whose necessary but dangerous work resulted in the ultimate sacrifice.

In September, the Thruway Authority, along with Sally Deming and loved ones, dedicated and unveiled a new memorial honoring the life of Ron Deming, a 20-year veteran of the Thruway's Herkimer Maintenance Section. Deming was fatally struck on October 28, 2016 by a vehicle while assisting in the recovery of a passenger car along the shoulder of the Thruway (I-90) in Herkimer County. Since her husband's death, Sally has appeared in Thruway PSAs, at numerous Thruway work zone safety events, and at the unveiling of the Highway Workers Memorial at the State Fair.