I have noticed in our state (California) that there are police cars at every highway construction site, lights flashing. I wonder is that is not at least some of the transfer. Seems like easy duty for the cops—sitting in a car watching the workers work and commuters commute.
It’s a revenue stream: Someone gets close to the edge of their lane, or travels .0001 MPH over the speed limit, or 2 MPH under the speed limit (seen it happen) gets a ticket. Is your plate slightly loose on one side? Were you driving on a gravel road and dust has covered your plate? Pick up a rock chip in the windshield on your drive this morning?
Traffic cops target the easy tickets, not the truly dangerous events. Only when it’s right in front of them do they actually deal with serious hazards.
Without police protection, you wouldn’t want to be a highway worker in California.