Colonel Kenneth L. Morckel
Superintendent
Ohio State Highway Patrol

Planning a trip to the Ohio State Fair this summer? How about including the following activities during your day at the fair: attempt a field sobriety test while wearing Fatal Vision Goggles; get in the seat of a commercial truck and see how professional truck drivers view the road; or learn more about the state’s What’s Holding You Back? safety belt campaign.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol has long been a part of the Ohio State Fair. Troopers provide security, give directions to fairgoers, offer educational information, and assist lost children. The Troopers Coalition provides nametags for children, to enable lost children to be reunited with their family as quickly as possible. In addition to seeing Troopers on the fairway, you can visit them at the Marketplace Building, the Janus Center, and an outside No Zone Display.

In the Marketplace building, the Patrol will have Fatal Vision Goggles to allow fairgoers to experience simulated visual impairment. Fatal Vision Goggles simulate impaired vision at .08 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in the daytime and .14 BAC percent at night. The goggles are highly effective because they offer individuals a memorable lesson in the dangers of impaired driving.

A Patrol car will be on display, with a new lightbar the Patrol recently adopted. Also new to the Patrol this year, is the state’s MARCS radio system. All troopers at the fair will be able to communicate with one another through this improved radio system. A description of the MARCS radio system will be on display in the Marketplace Building.

Several Patrol give-away items will be available at the Marketplace Building. Air pressure gauges will be given out to help ensure tires are safe on Ohio’s roadways. Magnets in the shape of Patrol cars with the Patrol’s 1-877-7-PATROL number are intended to remind drivers where to call when they need assistance on the highways. Junior trooper badges will be given to children who promise to wear their safety belts.

Stop by the Patrol booth in the Janus Center to learn about mature driving skills. Several informational items will be available, which explain how mature drivers can be sure they are driving safely. A driver license provides a sense of independence and convenience for drivers of all ages. This freedom is particularly important to mature drivers. Help ensure this freedom by evaluating your driving skills to ensure your safety and the safety of others on our roads. Mature drivers can remain safe drivers by making a few simple adjustments to their driving behavior.

Learn how to share the road safely with commercial trucks at the No Zone Truck display. In a partnership with the Ohio Trucking Association and Roadway, this display demonstrates blind spots in commercial truck mirrors and areas to avoid while driving near commercial trucks. Fairgoers will have the opportunity to get in the driver’s seat of a commercial truck. The display includes two commercial trucks with Patrol message on the trailers. One is a No Zone trailer and the other displays the Share the Road Safely message. In addition to the commercial trucks, the display has a Patrol car, a motor carrier enforcement car, and a car parked in the "no zone."

A tent next to the No Zone display includes photos and information on commercial truck safety. Trucking company representatives will be available to discuss truck safety and demonstrate the No Zone Truck. In addition to spreading the No Zone message, volunteers will be available to answer questions about the trucking industry and encourage children to sign a "Seat Belt Promise" which says they will always buckle up when riding in a car.

Several give-away items will also be available at the No Zone display including: commercial truck driver guidebooks, safety belt promise certificates; Ohio State Highway Patrol car pins with flashing lights; No Zone Pamphlets; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Frisbees; and informational pamphlets. In addition, there will be a daily drawing at the No Zone Display for a Roadway Truck model.

The Ohio State Fair runs from August 2 through August 18. If you visit the Ohio State Fair, I hope you will include these many Patrol displays as part of your day. It is a great opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of the Patrol’s safety programs.

It’s about safety!