Michigan may soon see automated speed cameras placed in construction zones to protect road workers under two new pieces of bipartisan legislation introduced to the Michigan Legislature as part of an effort to make work zones safe statewide.
Both introduced on Feb. 15, House Bill 575 from Rep. Sara Cambensy and Senate Bill 874 from Sen. Wayne Schmidt would amend the Michigan vehicle code to allow an “automated speed enforcement system” that detects a vehicle exceeding the posted speed limit with a type of speed timing device in a work zone on a highway or street.
The system would produce a recorded image of a vehicle exceeding the posted speed limit showing the license plate, the location and the date and time when the image was taken.
If someone “violates an applicable speed limit by exceeding a posted speed limit by six miles per hour or more in a work zone while workers are present, on the basis of a recorded image produced by an automated speed enforcement system,” they will be issued a written warning by the Michigan State Police, according to HB 575.
A second violation caught by the system would be considered a civil infraction and cost “not more than $150,” according to the bill, while a third violation would cost “not more than $300.”
Rob Coppersmith, executive vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association,said the legislation “would ensure our construction workers are protected while they’re hard at work fixing Michigan’s roads.
“Construction sites are dangerous places, especially when working on the side of highways with traffic moving at high rates of speed and distracted driving,” Coppersmith said in a press release. “By adding automated speed cameras to construction zones, we can help protect our construction workers by strictly enforcing work zone speed limits.”
Last year, 4,035 work zone crashes in Michigan resulted in 14 work zone fatalities and 1,050 work zone injuries, Coppersmith said.
“Let’s put the lives and safety of our construction workers first and make sure they are protected while on the job site,” he said. “We look forward to working with the legislature to ensure our construction workers have a safe day in the office fixing Michigan’s roads.”
This article originally appeared in the Midland Daily News. For more, click here.