NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- Two Indiana legislators want drivers to slow down in construction zones and think the best way to do that is with speed cameras.
Two separate pieces of legislation with similar goals are working their way through the statehouse in Indianapolis, but it's not the first time such a plan has been proposed.
"I've worked on the issue for a couple of years," Rep. Jim Pressel said. "This is something different. It's new to Indiana."
Pressel's bill would ticket drivers going 12 mph or more over the speed limit in a construction on interstates. The cameras would take a photo of the license place of the speeding car. The first time a driver is caught, they would be sent a warning in the mail. The second time, they would be assessed a $75 fine.Â
"It must be an active work zone," Pressel said at a recent committee meeting. "And the active work zone is a very important part of this legislation. I don't want to see the technology is work zones that aren't active."
A similar bill is working its way through the Senate under the guidance of Sen. Jon Ford. A key difference is that Ford's bill would ticket drivers at 11 mph over the limit and carry more hefty fines.
But this is not the first time similar legislation has been proposed in Indiana only to see it die later in the legislative session. Concerns over privacy derailed those previous attempts, and similar concerns have already been voiced this time around.Â
"Where does it all end? Where do the cameras stop?" Rep. Ben Smaltz said. "Where does government watching us stop? We've got cameras at toll booths. We have cameras on school busses."Â
Each bill includes provisions that registered owners of vehicles who are ticketed but were not driving could challenge the citation.
Both bills passed their first readings in respective committee meetings.Â
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