New safety measures for ‘dangerous’ stretch of I-90

[Watch in the player above: Ohio State Highway Patrol releases five-year report on road fatalities]

CLEVELAND (WJW) — State troopers and local police are now being more vigilant for drivers on a local interstate who are speeding and who aren’t wearing their seat belts.

Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this week announced the launch of the state’s first Speed & Seat Belt Safety Corridor on a “dangerous” 8-mile stretch of Interstate 90 between East 55th Street and East 260th Street.

About a third of all crashes there since 2021 involved a motorist who was unbuckled, and more than 400 crashes there since 2021 involved speeding, according to the release.

State troopers there have handed out more than 450 tickets for speeding and more than 700 citations for seat belt violations.

“Officers and troopers are constantly encountering drivers on this section of I-90 who are driving recklessly with no care for their own safety or the safety of others,” DeWine is quoted in the release. “We’re giving this stretch of I-90 extra attention because many of the fatal and severe-injury crashes here could have been prevented with lower speeds and seat belts.”

The effort involves the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Department of Transportation and police from Cleveland, Euclid and Bratenahl, according to the release.

Motorists can expect “no tolerance” speeding and seat belt enforcement as well as new signage reminding them to buckle up and watch their speed.

Though drivers and front-seat passengers are required to wear seat belts in Ohio, only about 84% of them actually do — 72% in Cuyahoga County — which is below the national average, according to a 2023 state survey.

Nearly two-thirds of all fatal crashes statewide since 2021 involved an unbuckled motorist, according to the release. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates wearing a seat belt can cut the risk of injury by about half.

Not wearing a seat belt is a secondary offense in Ohio, meaning drivers can’t be pulled over just for that.

“It’s not about issuing tickets, it’s about saving lives,” DeWine said. “By buckling up, you are much more likely to survive a car crash or walk away with minor injuries.”