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Operation Yellow Jacket is making a comeback in work zones across Lewistown, Pennsylvania, as announced by PennDOT and the Pennsylvania State Police. This initiative, set in PennDOT's District Two, which includes Juniata and Mifflin counties, aims to enhance safety for both highway workers and drivers.
State Troopers will be stationed in PennDOT vehicles, wearing PennDOT hard hats and vests, to enforce traffic laws. Their focus will be on curbing speeding, tailgating, and distracted driving. If a violation is observed, a trooper in a PennDOT vehicle will radio a colleague in a marked patrol car to initiate a traffic stop.
According to CBS 21, Trooper Jake Rhymestine, Public Information Officer for PSP Troop G, emphasized, "Our goal is not to write tickets. Our goal is to prevent the violations that would warrant a ticket from happening in the first place." He highlighted that these violations can be life-threatening, hence the importance of the State Police presence in work zones.
State law mandates that drivers slow down, turn on their headlights, and adhere to all posted speed limits and traffic patterns when passing through work zones. Josh Woods, HSN Community Traffic Safety Project Coordinator, noted, "Decreased speed limits, work zone signage, alternating traffic patterns, those all have a purpose, and they are all designed with safety in mind."
Since 1970, PennDOT has tragically lost 93 workers in the line of duty. The initiative aims to prevent further fatalities and injuries, as reported by CBS 21. In 2025 alone, there were 1,393 work zone crashes in Pennsylvania, resulting in 12 fatalities and 805 injuries. The operation seeks to reduce these numbers and ensure the safety of all road users.