Posted on 01/01/2020 6:13:07 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
After years of concern about the number of traffic accidents that occur in road construction zones, Pennsylvania is doing something about it.
Beginning Jan. 4, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike will begin a 60-day pilot program to formally test what’s called the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program. The program is designed to cause drivers to slow down in construction areas by setting up speed monitoring equipment in work areas.
After the pilot program is finished, the two state agencies expect to deploy private contractors in white Jeep Cherokee SUVs at various sites throughout the state to monitor speed beginning March 4. If the monitors detect someone going more than 11 miles an hour over the speed limit, the motorist will receive a notice by mail with a warning for the first violation, followed by a $75 fine for a second offense and $150 for each future ticket.
The incidents will be treated as civil violations and no points will be added to a driver’s license.
“From our standpoint, we aren’t trying to make this an ‘I got you’ situation,” said Dan Farley, chief of transportation systems management and operations for PennDOT. “We’re trying to address the egregious speeding in our work zones.”
The new program was authorized by the Legislature in 2018, but its history dates back much further. A report in 2012 by the state Transportation Advisory Committee recommended similar steps to control speeding in work zones.
The concern is obvious in accident statistics: In 2018, there were 2,804 accidents in work zones across Pennsylvania that resulted in 23 fatalities. Forty-three percent of those accidents resulted in injuries. Since 1970, 89 PennDOT workers have died in traffic accidents in work zones and 45 turnpike employees have died since 1945.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
Good.
PING!
This is so much hooey.
If there is a real danger from the speeders, then append points to the speeding tickets.
Otherwise it’s just so much radar virtue signaling.
Private contractors enforcing traffic laws is not a good thing
Potentially. But, just like with the police, it depends on how performance is rewarded.
Until you have tried to slow traffic down on an Expressway (27 years in the fire service, 20 years as Fire Police, 7 years as Captain) any and all speed enforcement and enforcement of move over laws is critical. Every minute I spent on calls was volunteer. I came very close to injury from idiot drivers more than you would believe.
easy more tickets, equals more money for the contractor. This happened in Texas with Red Light Cameras, the contractor rigged them to catch people going through yellow and green lights. Big lawsuit, result (according to my sister) red light cameras are now unconstitutional in Texas.
That’s for sure. I don’t trust this. It has a suspicious scent of tax to it.
Gosh, how wonderful - another chance for government to control those awful people driving cars!
Never mind that speed probably isn’t the issue as much as say, poor barrier placement and design, or driver intoxication.
No, much better to put the screws on drivers while making a little money on the side while you’re at it. After all, who could complain about that?
BTW, 45 dead in 74 years? Scary! We’re almost talking Iraq combat, for gosh sakes.
In other words, it has nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with raising revenue as cheaply as possible. If it included 'points', you'd find more people objecting and fighting these revenue agents in court. They don't want that administrative hassle, which could actually cost them some money, so the criminals running this scam just send you a letter saying to send in your "fine".
My only experience driving in Pennsylvania was on a trip way back in 1977. I never saw so many work zones on my life. They seemed to be everywhere with big orange 55 gallon drums which appeared to be filled with concrete blocking lanes. Key word is “appeared.”
They shouldn’t be paid on the number of tickets. They should be paid by the day/hour of camera activity, or by the number of cars they measure, not the number they clock 11 miles over the limit.
But, yeah, if they get a cut of the ticket take, they’re motivated in exactly the same way as small-town police with an end of month ticket quota. It’s corrupt, and bad.
Let the workers live. 9 or 10 MPH over the posted speed limit is fast enough.
I hate ‘construction zones’ that extend WAY beyond the actual construction
The one I drive regularly is a good mile or more and there hasn’t been construction for at least 6 months. It’s full lanes and complete.
I’m afraid I don’t see your point.
Where is what I posted not true? How is this not another $$ shakedown by PennDOT?
Oh, going the way of Maryland?
We already have this for years everywhere. Big Brother. But we don’t have the niceties of gratis first offense. I’ve had many tickets in regular road areas. Now I k ow where they are and the deal...12 mph over so that’s what I do. And I know where the vehicles and the stands are so exactly where to be careful.
Nice of PA to allow just a warning the first time.
“move over laws is critical.”
Agreed.
Drove from the top to bottom of I-81 in Virginia in November and all drivers did just that when I got to southern VA.
Don’t see this in The Peoples Republic of Maryland.
p.s. Thank you for your service. Much!
I am also volunteer fire police. It is not a fun job with the crazy drivers out there and it has gotten much worse with the phones and gadgets in the new cars. Sometimes it is just plain old scary.
One of the pilot cams is just north of you at the Exit 4 reconstruction on I-83.
That work zone has had a higher than normal number of crashes many of which have taken 4+ hours to clear.
Cams can't go "live" soon enough.
Just watch for parked, White, Jeep Cherokees.
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