Ohio motorists will soon be able to know where they are on the state's highways without applying a caliper to a road map.

To comply with the federal Highway Safety Act of 1966, Ohio Department of Highways crews are installing identifying mile markers along the state's highways.

MARKERS ARE being placed at one mile intervals along all rural highways, and through smaller villages. More heavily traveled routes are receiving priorities in erecting the markers

Benefits of the markers are several. Most important, they are intended to pinpoint locations of accidents so that reports can be more readily digested by a computer.

Computerizing of accident and other highway data is regarded as the future means for classifying and solving road problems. At present, law officers are usually restricted to recognized landmarks in locating accident sites. About three miles west of the intersection with Rt. 23," is a typical accident report entry.

With a mileage marker no more than a half a mile away in either direction, law officers can use their cruiser odometer, to pinpoint, the exact location.

Frequent mileage markers could be a life saver in directing emergency vehicles more quickly to the scene of an accident.

FRED KAISER, highway department bureau of traffic engineer, said the markers themselves will not constitute a hazard. They will be placed on thin metal poles just off the road berm.

Poles are of the same type supporting reflectors along the right-of-way and bend easily if struck by a vehicle, Kaiser said in fact, engineers anticipate some maintenance problems in replacing damaged mileage markers.

Markers will be placed on both sides of divided highways, and on one side of two lane roads, but with information on both sides of the sign.

Information will include the county abbreviation, the highway route number and the mile from the county line.

Mile post numbers will start at the south and west county lines.....