Camera speed enforcement coming to Indiana construction zones

Starting Aug. 14, camera technology will be set up in the I-70 construction zone in Hancock County. If a vehicle passing through the zone is traveling 11 mph or more above the speed limit, the technology will automatically take a photo of its license plate.

The cameras are part of the Indiana Department of Transportation's Safe Zones pilot program .

It aims to protect motorists and construction workers across the state by controlling speeds at worksites. Indiana Safe Zones was authorized by House Enrolled Act 1015 during the 2023 legislative session.

In 2023 alone , 33 people were killed and more than 1,750 were injured in INDOT work zones, according to the agency's news release. Four out of five people killed in work zones were either drivers or their passengers.

"The goal of the Safe Zones program is to slow drivers down, reduce crashes, and most importantly, save lives,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “Speed continues to be a factor in work zone crashes and changing driver behavior is crucial to making work zones safer for drivers and road workers. For everyone’s safety, I urge drivers to wear their seat belts, avoid distractions and follow the posted speed limit.”

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How will the program work?

The program will begin with a pre-enforcement period during which INDOT will not issue violations, but drivers will receive warnings if they are suspected of speeding. This period will last at least 30 days.

There will be signs posted as motorists enter and exit work zones, alerting them that speed control technology is in place.

The automated system will then monitor the speed of vehicles using speed-timing devices. When a vehicle is traveling 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit, the system will capture an image of the vehicle’s license plate.

After this is confirmed, violations will be certified and issued to the owner of the vehicle by mail.

Penalties will increase with the number of violations:

• After the pre-enforcement period ends, the first violation will result in a warning but no fine.
• The second violation will result in a $75 civil penalty.
• Every violation after that will result in a civil penalty of $150.

Collected penalties will go into the state’s general fund.

According to the Indiana Safe Zones website, workers must be present at the site for any violation to be valid. However, a driver can get a violation notice if the workers were present but not visible when the driver passed through.

INDOT's press release stated that data collected by Indiana Safe Zones will not be used for surveillance or other law enforcement purposes.

Which work zones will be monitored?

The I-70 construction zone in Hancock County will be the first to be monitored, but INDOT said additional worksites will be added over time.

As per statute, INDOT can implement the program in up to four sites at any given time.

Media spokesperson Natalie Garrett said additional worksites will be released later this year.

Garrett said INDOT looks at crash data, average speeds, traffic counts and location when selecting sites.

If the pilot is successful, she said the Indiana General Assembly could decide whether or not to make the program permanent. As part of the pilot, which runs through 2028, INDOT will provide annual reports to legislators.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Camera speed enforcement coming to Indiana construction zones