Short takes

OHIO DRIVERS are accident-prone around trucks plowing snow off roads; an Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman said that one ODOT engineer called around and found that the department’s trucks are getting hit far more often than those in neighboring states — that also have snow.

ODOT trucks were struck, often rear-ended, 107 times during the winter of 2010-2011; meanwhile, Michigan plow trucks were hit only 27 times, and Kentucky reported 20 collisions.

No one is sure why Ohio snow-plow trucks are getting hit four times more often, but ODOT officials this year got the green light for an experiment: The agency believes it will be the first in the nation to equip its snowplow trucks with green strobes, the spokesman told The Dispatch. Apparently, scientists have studied this and found that the human eye detects green more easily than other colors.

The green strobes, along with new white lights, will be added to the existing amber blinking lights to make the trucks easier to spot. But it is hard to imagine that drivers miss seeing such a big truck when it’s right ahead of them. Especially since the back of the truck is covered with reflective striping.

More likely, the drivers are impatient. Or illogical; the safest place to be is well behind the snow plow, where the road is freshly cleared. Passing the truck just lands the driver ahead of the plow, on treacherous roadway.

The green lights are worth trying. Maybe they can prevent those who crash into snow-plow trucks from seeing a fourth hue of flashing lights: police-cruiser red.

• BLIGHT BEGETS blight; neighborhoods dotted with houses that have become vacant or fallen into disrepair can quickly go downhill, affecting not just property values but quality of life and future prospects of an area.

That’s why it’s good to see the South Side making slow but steady progress in tearing down some eyesores and replacing them with new homes. A combination of public and private money totaling more than $1.5 million is allowing the neighborhood to demolish ten houses, build 40 rent-to-own houses and put new siding, roofs and other improvements on 17 houses that were becoming run-down.

No one expects an immediate turnaround of the neighborhood, which in recent years has been plagued with the high poverty and low education rates that often exist in tandem with deteriorating neighborhoods. But it’s a start.

“It’s going to make a dent,” said Don Kelley, a businessman with South Side roots who donated money to the efforts. “It will stop the deterioration and build up the pride of the people.”

People like Kelley know that, just as seemingly small things like peeling paint and broken windows can lead to neighborhood decline and invite crime, small improvements such as fresh siding and patched roofs can spur others to take pride, have hope and give the neighborhood new life.