CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- The Indiana Department of Transportation will launch a new pilot program next month to catch speeding drivers in construction sites on interstates.

“Indiana Safe Zones” is a five-year worksite speed control pilot program. It was passed in House Enrolled Act 1015 during the 2023 legislative session. The state will rely on new technology to capture drivers speeding through construction sites.

"There will be signage letting drivers know that they are entering and exiting the safe zones,” Sidney Nierman, Public Relations director with INDOT Southeast, said.

If the cameras capture a driver going more than 11 mph over the work zone speed limit, the system will take a photo of their rear license plate. The first offense is a warning, the second is a $75 fine, and every violation after that is $150. Workers must be present at the site at the time of the event for violations to be valid.

"I think they're going to get a lot of people who are flying through there not even realizing what they're doing,” driver Kannon Stull said.

The violations are considered a civil penalty and no points on driver’s licenses will be assessed. Drivers can also contest a Safe Zones violation if they did not own the vehicle or were not driving it at the time of violation. They can also contest the violation if they can prove the system wasn’t working accurately or if workers were not present at the time.

INDOT hopes the warning period will help drivers prepare for what’s to come.

"The warning portion of this program really is solely for education," Nierman said. “We want people to be aware that this is taking place, we want them to do know why we're doing it.”

INDOT said in 2023 alone, 33 people were killed and more than 1,750 were hurt in Indiana work zones.

"There's not enough police enforcement to be able to catch everyone all the time wherever they're speeding, and that would help a lot with accidents too,” driver Cheryl McQuilley said. 

Other states have seen positive outcomes with similar programs. Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois have permanent programs on their roadways. Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Connecticut and New York also have pilot programs.

Data shows that two years after Maryland launched a similar enforcement program, violations in construction sites fell by more than 80 percent. Worksite-related crashes, deaths, and injuries were at their lowest in more than 10 years. 

"The goal here is to really improve safety,” Nierman said. “We want to reduce crashes in work zones and ultimately we want to save lives."

The state will launch the first Safe Zone on Interstate 70 in Hancock County next month. INDOT said a southern Indiana site hasn't been announced yet.

To learn more about the Safe Zones pilot program, click here.

Related Stories: 

Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.