SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky officials said automated speed cameras positioned in construction zones in Kentucky are doing what they're meant to do: causing drivers to slow down.
When cameras detect a driver traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit in a work zone, the license plate is recorded and the information is sent to an officer positioned outside work zones. There are several cameras active now, and they will be rotated to different sites as needed.
Some of the first locations to receive cameras include a stretch of I-64 in Shelby County.
The reaction from drivers has been mixed.
"That will be good, especially they are protecting the workers," said Ernesto Clemente.
The threat of a $500 fine didn't sit well with Robert Thompson. "There are people that are struggling to make ends meet, and a $500 fine is really not fair," he said.
Kentucky officials rolled out the speed enforcement system earlier this month in several areas across the Bluegrass state.
The cameras went up after the passage of the Jared Lee Helton Act, named after a 22-year-old killed in a work zone crash in 2018, which allows the state to use automated speed cameras in active construction areas.
From Shelby to Lawrence County, lawmakers are reporting significant speed reductions as Kentucky State Police trains troopers to use the technology. Kentucky Rep. John Blanton, who sponsored the bill, said the presence of warning signs indicating active speed monitoring appears to be driving that change.
"Traffic are seeing these signs and they're slowing down, and that was our goal!" Blanton said.
The cameras activate when warning lights in work zones are flashing.
If a driver is caught speeding and a police officer is nearby, a ticket will be issued. The system does not send citations through the mail.
Seven people were killed in Kentucky, and roughly 300 were hurt in work zone crashes in 2024.
Thompson said he doesn't agree with using technology to catch speeding drivers.
"I'm okay with enforcing the law and people going the speed limit, but that should be done by actual law enforcement," Thompson said, but added that he understands the reasoning.
"That’s definitely valid. I mean, if I was working on the side of the road, I’d want to be able to do so safely."
Rep. Blanton said the program's main goal is not to ticket people -- although the money from citations will be used to keep running the program.
Blanton said it was "never was about ... issuing a citation. It's not a money grab."
Thompson said he still feels "there are other ways to enforce that without coming for money."
Although not everyone agrees with the steep fine, many feel it's important to change Kentucky's driving culture and save lives.
"Just slow down," Thompson said. "You’re still going to get to where you’re going."
In addition to the camera in Shelby County, additional cameras will be added at the following locations throughout the Fall:
Lawrence/Martin counties – U.S. 23 at Louisa; KY 3 (MP 7.314 to 13.735) at Inez
Fayette County – U.S. 25 (MP 7.805 to 9.672) and KY 418 (MP 0.000 to 1.870), Richmond/Athensboro Road at Lexington
Laurel/Whitley Counties – I-75 (MP 23.200 to 28.900) near Corbin
The speed cameras aren't just in Kentucky. Indiana is rolling out its own cameras, particularly in I-70 work zones and near Indianapolis.
The cameras are not yet in use in southern Indiana.
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