DRIVERS have been cautioned about a new crackdown that could lead to $150 fines for violations.
Those who receive a violation won’t be interacting with any law enforcement officers.
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The crackdown is part of an initiative to get Indiana drivers to slow down on the road to prevent injuries around worksites.
During recent months, roughly 90,000 citations were issued to drivers who were speeding in work zones on the 1-465, as reported by Yahoo! News.
“It’s crucial for drivers to slow down in work zones,” said Lyndsay Quist, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, in a news release.
“Speeding in work zones puts construction crews, drivers, and their passengers at risk of injury or even death.”
Starting May 5, Indiana state officials will enforce the speed control pilot program after giving drivers a transitional period during which fines weren’t issued.
The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that drivers who are caught speeding 11 miles per hour over the speed limit at work sites will receive a $150 fine.
First-time offenders will be excused with a warning, but second-time offenders will be issued a $75 fine in the mail.
Any subsequent speeding infraction will cost drivers $150.
The speeding crackdown began as a way to create safer traffic conditions for construction crews working along the Clear Path I-465/I-69 between 75th Street and 82nd Street.
Two years ago, the Indiana General Assembly approved a bill that greenlit the INDOT’s plan to purchase four speed control systems to monitor state highways.
This was part of the state’s “Safe Zones” initiative to reducing speeding and increase safety on the roads.
The new systems can identify and document a vehicle’s speed when it passes a device which are placed around work sites.
Any car that is speeding as it passes a device will be detected on camera so that Indiana authorities can mail a citation to the driver.
Offenders caught on camera are spotted using an image of the vehicle’s rear license plate, which is sent to the state for review.
Safe Zone Crackdown
“The pilot program permits the use of four automated systems to monitor speeds in work zones, using advanced speed detection technology such as LiDAR and radar to monitor the speed of passing vehicles.
Camera technology will document vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit using images of rear license plates. Multiple warning signs will be in place as drivers enter and exit worksites where Safe Zones are active. Penalties will be sent to vehicle owners via mail.
Drivers will receive a written warning for the first violation. A civil penalty of $75 will be issued for the second violation. And a civil penalty of $150 will be issued for the third and each subsequent violation.”
Source: Indiana Department of Transportation
Once the violation is approved, the car owner will receive a fine in the mail that will be collected as a part of the state’s General Fund.
Other major cities have adopted similar technology to prevent accidents in busy neighborhoods or streets.
The INDOT noted that 30 people were killed in work zone auto accidents last year, and over 1,500 were injured in similar crashes.
“We want to keep drivers safe on the road, the same as we want to keep road crews safe in work zones,” said Matthew Ubelhorm, Indiana Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure, in a news release.
“We urge drivers to not only slow down, but also wear their seatbelts, and avoid distractions — lives depend on it.”
Drivers only have a couple of days before the crackdown efforts commence.