OHP troopers cracking down on speeding in construction work zones

If you have a lead foot, listen up. Law enforcement agencies will hammer down on speeders this week. <br/><br/>It's National Work Zone Awareness Week. And that means speeders will be targeted in

Monday, April 4th 2005, 6:28 am

By: News On 6

If you have a lead foot, listen up. Law enforcement agencies will hammer down on speeders this week.

It's National Work Zone Awareness Week. And that means speeders will be targeted in construction zones and that could mean heavy fines.

6 in the Morning reporter Omar Villafranca, who was at US highway 169 and I-244, you can tell by the orange cones and lights that the area is a construction zone.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers will keep an eye on this stretch of road to make sure people follow the speed limit. If you're caught speeding in a marked construction zone, you can expect to pay a hefty fine, sometimes double the normal speeding ticket. Back in 2003, there were 842 work zone accidents that killed 10 Oklahomans.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation wants to cut down on those numbers. More than 40-percent of the crashes in work zones occur during the mid-morning commute, most in dry conditions.

ODOT has some simple tips to avoid becoming a statistic. Don't change lanes in a work zone and don't tailgate. And turn your headlights on, that way workers and other cars can see you.