Can Speed-Enforcement Cameras Save Lives in Indiana?

Semi-trucks whizz by, ignoring signs with lowered speed limits in big, bold letters.

Cars weave through traffic, despite lane closures and traffic cones and neon-orange vests.

Their actions have severe consequences. In 2022, work-zone crashes involving speeding killed more than 300 people and injured 9,357 others in the United States. At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, we represent victims who are part of these statistics.

One of our clients worked as a flagger in a construction site until a reckless semi-truck driver plowed him down. His accident is one of thousands. We must take action to prevent more catastrophic wrecks.

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If you’re someone who sees work-zone speed limits as suggestions rather than requirements, now is the time to take them seriously. Starting this August, construction zones on I-70 in Hancock County, Indiana, will be monitored with cameras.

The goal? To catch vehicles breaking the speed limit and reduce the number of work-zone deaths.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announced the new program recently. If successful, it will make a positive difference on our roads and save lives. Here’s what we know so far.

What are speed-enforcement cameras?

“Speed safety camera enforcement” is used across the country as an additional measure to prevent speeding. Once installed in designated areas, cameras measure the speed of passing vehicles. If a vehicle exceeds the maximum speed limit by a certain amount (in Indiana’s case, 11+ miles per hour), the cameras will snap a picture.

The vehicle and its license plate information help the system send a warning or a ticket to the registered plate-holder.

The systems can reduce traffic deaths and injuries by up to 37%, according to NHTSA.

Which states use cameras to catch speeding?

Though Indiana is newly implementing speed safety camera enforcement, other states have used it for years. Let’s look at some surrounding states, specifically Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri and Iowa.

Illinois

In August 2004, the state of Illinois first allowed the use of automated traffic control systems in construction zones to enforce speed limits. Today, the Illinois Vehicle Code allows automated enforcement to monitor work zones, as well as in certain counties to monitor red-light running and school bus arm violations.

Beyond work zones, speed cameras are used in designated “safety zones” in cities with one million or more residents. The safety zones include areas surrounding schools and parks.

Twenty years after speed enforcement cameras were first approved, Illinois continues to improve the program. Earlier this summer, the Illinois Department of Transportation added five vans that will use lidar-based speed detection, which it says is more effective than radar systems.

Kentucky

There are currently no speed cameras used in Kentucky. Bills to bring red-light and speed cameras have been proposed but never passed.

Ohio

Traffic cameras to catch speeding vehicles and issue tickets have been in use in Ohio since 2003. State law allows traffic cameras in certain areas, like construction zones, if there are signs to notify drivers of their presence. The traffic cameras can be used to monitor speeding or red-light running.

Each county and city in Ohio can decide if it wants to use speed cameras, as long as it follows the Ohio Department of Transportation’s general requirements.

Missouri

Speed-enforcement cameras are legal in Missouri but strictly regulated. If used, they must be marked with signs to alert drivers, placed in work zones on federal roads, and used only when workers are present. Like Ohio, Missouri cities can decide whether they implement the programs.

In 2015, Missouri judges ruled that violations captured by traffic cameras are invalid unless they prove who was driving the car at the time of the offense.

Iowa

In Iowa, speed-enforcement cameras have been controversial, with some lawmakers pushing for a ban since their inception in 2010. Despite pushback, Iowa is the only state with constant, permanent speed cameras on interstates.
Earlier this year, Iowa’s governor restricted camera usage. Now, cities must get approval from the Department of Transportation before installing traffic cameras and must submit annual progress reports. Communities of 20,000 people or fewer cannot use cameras to issue tickets, just warnings.

What to know about INDOT’s new program

Though it was authorized during the 2023 legislative session, the speed-enforcement program — called “Indiana Safe Zones” — doesn’t begin until August 14, 2024. As of now, it is a pilot program and is slated to end in 2028. Whether it continues past that point depends on how successful Indiana’s Department of Transportation deems it to be.

At first, the camera technology will be installed only in the I-70 construction site in Hancock County. During a period of about 30 days, cars speeding through the zone will receive warnings. There will be signs posted ahead of the work site to alert drivers of the system.

Once the program fully begins, violators face punishment. If the construction zone is empty and there aren’t any workers around, violations will not count. A car caught speeding 11+ mph over the speed limit will receive a warning after its first offense. The second time, that driver will face a $75 civil fine. For every following violation, the fine is $150.

The cameras can be used in four areas at once, so a few other construction zones in Indiana will likely see the program installed later this year, according to INDOT.

Why shouldn’t you speed in work zones?

Construction zones are some of the most dangerous stretches of road. They are often narrow, bumpy, crowded and tense. Even when signs for decreased speed limits are posted, many drivers choose not to follow them. This poses a danger to other vehicles, as well as the construction workers on and around the road.

Road rage in construction zones

Because construction can disrupt the normal flow of traffic and inconvenience drivers, road rage is common in work zones. When people drive too closely to the car ahead of them and don’t maintain a safe following distance, they are tailgating. Tailgating is considered a type of aggressive driving and causes rear-end collisions.

In 2022, there were almost 40,000 rear-end collisions in work zones in the United States, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nearly 30% of them involved speeding. Other impulsive actions — unsafe lane changes, brake-checking, honking and shouting — are tell-tale signs of road rage.

Commercial motor vehicles in work zones

Semi-trucks and other heavy trucks can cause catastrophic wrecks if their drivers don’t follow speed limits. Commercial motor vehicles require much more time to slow down and brake, so if their drivers speed, they can lose control of the truck. These vehicles also have large blind spots and are often unaware of the cars or other objects around them.

Large trucks were involved in 15,828 construction-zone crashes in 2022 in the U.S. About 9% of those wrecks involved speeding. When states implement speed cameras, they can do their part to lower that number.

Distracted driving in work zones

If you’re heading through a worksite on the interstate, scrolling on your phone or looking in the mirror, you might not see speed limit signs.

Distracted drivers are some of the most dangerous. Even the smallest distractions — checking navigation, looking for something in a purse, or choosing the next song to play — can trigger deadly wrecks. In 2022 alone, distracted drivers caused more than 3,000 fatal wrecks.

In work zones, there may be obstacles, holes, or even people in the road. It is vital that drivers keep their eyes on the road and observe signage warning them about worksites and speed limits.

How else can we prevent work-zone speeding?

While construction zones occupy areas of the road for weeks and months at a time, they aren’t always in use. When there are no workers around, many drivers ignore the lowered speed limit. Some states allow this.

However, if we get into the habit of treating work zones the same as any other roadway, we can become careless. To help mitigate the danger, Ohio is one state that has chosen to use changeable message signs to alert drivers of variable speed limits.

This means that the signs can light up and show different speed limits depending on whether workers are at the worksite. They have flashing lights to draw drivers’ attention when the lowered speed limit is displayed. This is one simple method to further prevent speeding in work zones.

Personal injury attorneys handling semi tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle wrecks

Victims of car or truck wrecks that resulted from speeding in construction zones will need skilled attorneys to represent them. Here at Craig, Kelley & Faultless, our lawyers are experts in truck accident law and serve clients suffering from serious bodily injury or wrongful death.

Speeding can inflict lifelong damage. If it has caused injury to you or someone you know, reach out to us today.

Contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless today at 1-800-746-0226 or by our online form.

David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.