This article originally appeared in Up North Live. Read more here.
A new Michigan law aims to protect construction workers on state highways, by placing cameras along work zones to catch speeding drivers.
Another law signed with it, will do a similar thing for kids going to school
Michigan State Police reported 8,000 work zone crashes last year, which is an 8% increase.
The Michigan Infrastructure and Transport Association (MITA), represents the companies whose workers bear the brunt of it.
“It’s just a matter of time, in split seconds, as individuals drive through work zones, but that split second could change an entire life,” said Lance Binoniemi, MITA VP of Government Affairs. “These accidents are devastating, and they’re not just for the individuals who are working, but for the families that they aren’t able to go home to that evening, their colleagues and peers working next to them. It’s not discriminative; we see young individuals and veterans of the trade all at risk as motorists aren’t paying enough attention and are speeding through these zones.”
A newly-signed law brings Michigan in line with 23 other states, by placing safety cameras at work zones.
“It’s not meant to be punitive; it’s meant to really change driver behavior. We think that if people are concerned about having their speed determined through a camera, people will become more alert and pay more attention, and they’ll be able to see those individuals on the other side of the orange barrels,” said Binoniemi.