COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine and Jack Marchbanks, director of the Ohio Department of Transportation, announced funding Friday for transportation safety projects focused on preventing two types of traffic crashes in Ohio.

The funding comes from ODOT's Highway Safety Improvement Program, $54 million will go to projects in 30 counties. 

The goal of the projects is to reduce pedestrian-involved crashes and roadway departure accidents, both of which are responsible for a rise in fatalities.  

"With Ohio's new distracted driving law, we're beginning to see drivers' focus return to the roads, but we must also ensure that the roads themselves are structurally safe as well," said DeWine in a news release. "The infrastructure projects we're funding today will be designed to help prevent deadly crashes."

Fatal crashes involving pedestrians and roadway departures reached their highest levels in years in 2021.

During that year, 176 pedestrians were killed in crashes as compared to 88 pedestrians killed in 2013. There was a slight decline in 2022 to 165 fatalities.

In 2021, roadway departures killed 703 people, while last year, 688 were killed. In 2013, there were 576 fatal roadway departure crashes.

Projects aimed at preventing pedestrian fatalities include installing high-visibility crossings, advanced yield markings, improved lighting and calming mechanisms, such as speed bumps. Pedestrian activated signals will also be installed near schools.

To combat fatal roadway departure accidents, projects will widen shoulders, flatten slopes, remove deep ditches and install rumble strips, especially along high-speed rural roads.

This is the second round of funding awarded to preventing these two types of crashes. In May 2022, DeWine announced $51 million for 32 counties' safety projects.

“Since Governor DeWine took office in 2019, ODOT’s traffic safety program has risen to its greatest investment in the history of the department,” said Marchbanks in a news release. “This has allowed our team to address a variety of safety hotspots around the state, from dangerous intersections to now pedestrian-related crashes and roadway departure crashes.”

Earlier this year, DeWine signed a bill strengthening laws related to use of cellphones and other devices while driving. The law went into effect April 4, and according to data from Cambridge Mobile Telematics, has already reduced distracted driving in the state.