INDIANAPOLIS — INDOT's worksite speed control pilot program will deploy with a pre-enforcement warning period on Wednesday, Jan 1.
During the minimum 30-day period, drivers will receive courtesy notices via mail.
The Indiana Department of Transportation's Safe Zones construction zone will be deployed in the Clear Path I-465/I-65 construction zone.
How Safe Zone works:
- Signs will be posted as motorists enter and exit worksites notifying them that speed limits are being monitored by an automated system.
- The system will monitor the speed of vehicles using speed timing devices as they pass through work zones. When a vehicle is determined to be traveling 11 mph or more than the posted speed limit, the system will capture an image of the vehicle’s rear license plate. After data is validated, violations will be certified and issued to the owner of the vehicle by mail.
- After the pre-enforcement period ends, the first violation will result in a zero-fine warning, the second in a $75 civil fine, and every violation thereafter a fine of $150. Per the statute, collected fines will go into the state’s General Fund.
- Workers must be present at the site at the time of the event for violations to be valid.
The program was authorized by House Enrolled Act 1015during the 2023 legislative session to protect the lives of motorists and road workers in Indiana.
According to INDOT, 269 people have been killed in crashes in highway worksites or in worksite backups in Indiana over the past decade. In 2023 alone, 33 people were killed and over 1,750 people were injured in INDOT work zones.
"Speed continues to be a problem in the Clear Path work zone,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “We’re consistently seeing speeds in excess of 60, 70 or even 80-plus miles per hour, putting construction crews and other drivers at risk of injury or even death. Our goals are to slow drivers down, reduce crashes and most importantly, save lives.”
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