Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation allowing speed enforcement cameras to be placed in road construction zones around Michigan.
The push to allow the cameras has been going on for about five years, backed by the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, or MITA. It represents more than 600 companies that employ construction workers.
MITA’s Lance Binoniemi tells us the need to crack down on reckless driving in construction zones has grown since the pandemic.
“We certainly saw an uptick in the number of fatalities in the state of Michigan,” Binoniemi said. “There were 24 fatalities in work zones just in 2023. So there was a real call to action for us to get this passed.”
Michigan becomes the 18th state to allow cameras in construction zones. Binoniemi says they have made a big difference where applied.
“In Maryland alone, they saw an 85% reduction in the number of speeders in the first 10 years. There’s virtually no repeat offenders. And then the Michigan law, which we mirrored Maryland and several other state laws, there’s a warning that people would receive if they were given a violation.”
Binoniemi says once the cameras go into use, drivers who are caught going ten or more miles an hour over the speed limit in construction zones will be sent a warning. The second offense will come with a $150 ticket, and the third offence will come with a $300 ticket. He asks drivers to give a break to the men and women who work in construction zones each day by slowing down.
MDOT expects the cameras to be in place and running within about a year.
