Suffolk County Police participated in Operation Hard Hat on May 13 to promote public awareness of the dangers of unsafe or distracted driving within work zones. Officers issued a total of 45 tickets during the operation: 12 for speeding in a work zone, 15 for Move Over Law violations, 11 for other moving violations and seven for non-moving violations.
Operation Hard Hat is a New York State Department of Transportation program designed to raise awareness and enforce speeding, Move Over law, cell phone use and other violations in work zones. Officers from Highway Patrol’s SITE (Suffolk Intensified Traffic Enforcement) team patrolled at a work zone on the shoulder of westbound Long Island Expressway between exits 50 and 49 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“Suffolk County is committed to reducing the number of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities on our roadways,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said. “Through education, prevention and reinforcing the rules of the road, we will lessen the number of preventable incidents this summer and protect our first responders and highway personnel who work around the clock to make our roads safer.”
“Ensuring the safety of those working on our highways is critical,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said. “There is no reason for motorists to be speeding or failing to move over for emergency and highway workers. This operation was important not only to enforce the law, but also to educate drivers and help prevent needless tragedies on our roadways.”
The program was funded through a NYSDOT construction grant.