WINDSOR (WBNG) — The New York State Police and the New York State Department of Transportation joined forces this morning to conduct “Operation Hardhat,” the goal of which is to stop speeding and other traffic violations in work zones.

Just last month, a four-vehicle accident at the construction zone on Route 17 eastbound in Windsor resulted in minor injuries but raised even greater concerns about the safety of road workers.

Operation Hardhat is a project in which New York State Police officers disguise themselves as Department of Transportation officers working on the highway and measure the speed of drivers as they drive through the construction zone.

Signs to reduce speed to 55 mph were posted about a mile and a half before the construction began. Despite the advance warning, the fastest car of the day was driven through the construction at 92 mph, nearly 40 mph over the posted limit.

Dan Scharfenberger, spokesman for Region 9 of the New York State Department of Transportation, appealed to citizens to slow down in construction areas and ensure the safety of Department of Transportation employees.

“What we really need to do is be aware that when we have these orange cones, these orange barrels, when these things are out there, we need to step back, slow down, keep people safe and also protect ourselves as drivers,” Scharfenberger said.

During the four hours that the state police were present in the work zone, they issued a total of 75 traffic tickets.

The tickets included:

• 58 speeding tickets
• 4 Non-transfer of tickets
• 3 seatbelt tickets
• 1 ticket for child safety belts
• 3 mobile phone usage tickets
• 6 more tickets

State Trooper Aga Tinker emphasized during a 12 News ride with the trooper that ignoring the speed limit creates an extremely dangerous work environment for Department of Transportation employees.

“The highest speed we stopped today was about 84 miles per hour in a 55 mph work zone,” Tinker said. “If workers are working on the side of the road on the bridge with their heads down and not paying attention to traffic at all and not concentrating on their work, we need to keep those people safe.”

In 2019, Department of Transportation maintenance worker Matt Howe was killed in a work-related accident on Route 17 in Owego. Howe’s death is an example of why it is so important to follow traffic laws in work zones to prevent future tragedies.

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