Far too many are speeding in work zones

It’s a simple message: People need to slow down in highway work zones for the sake of their own safety and that of others. Yet many motorists refuse to listen.

Over the years there have been plenty of efforts to remind people about the importance of being particularly careful in areas where construction is taking place, but to little avail. In 2018 alone, there were 1,804 work zone crashes in Pennsylvania, resulting in 23 fatalities and 43 injuries. Speeding motorists are a part of the problem.

So the state is trying a tougher approach. An automated ticketing system is in place in some construction zones on state highways and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The vehicle-mounted system records speeds and takes photos of vehicles caught going more than 11 mph over the limit. Vehicle owners are contacted by mail to make them aware of the offense.

The system was announced last fall and put in place for testing in January. It went live in March. Each step in the process was greeted with heavy publicity. Warnings are posted prominently on the highways involved. Motorists can go online to find out where the cameras are placed in any given week.

Yet PennDOT reported that about 40,000 warnings and tickets had been issued about four months into the program.

Worst of all for our region, most of those warnings and tickets were issued in our region. More than 23,000 motorists were cited by cameras in construction zones on Interstate 78 and Route 61 in northern Berks County.

These numbers are most distressing, especially considering the reduced traffic volumes in recent months and a two-week suspension of the camera program due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Critics complain this is nothing but a money grab, but the fact is that the state has gone to considerable lengths to get the message across without fining people.

On top of the considerable aforementioned efforts to make motorists of aware of the speed cameras and where they are in place, the program is set up so that first offenders do not have to pay fines.

Indeed, PennDOT reported that of the 40,000 vehicles nabbed by the cameras, 90% were warnings and 10% were for second or subsequent violations requiring a fine.

Our hope is that the many motorists who have received warnings will learn from it and avoid having to pay fines of $75 for a second violation and $150 for a third offense. Better yet, they should be spreading the word so other motorists learn as well, but without experiencing the distress of receiving a citation.

A change in such habits would be welcome by lawabiding motorists who slow down as instructed but often risk being run down by impatient drivers eager to exceed the posted limit by 20 mph or more.

The effort to crack down on work zone speeding also is good for contractors and the families of construction workers, some of whom have been pushing for laws to improve safety measures that address the speed and distracted driving habits that cause work zone tragedies.

Many of our readers will never forget the horrific stories told by Stacey Moyer and Karen Smith, both of Franconia Township, Montgomery County, whose husbands were struck by a distracted driver while they were doing roadwork. David Smith, 53, was killed and Jeffrey Moyer, 46, critically injured after being hit while working on a crew painting lines in front of an elementary school.

The two women have been pushing for just these sorts of laws to discourage the dangerous driving habits that cause work zone tragedies.

If nothing else reaches some motorists, they should remember that it’s their own interest to drive carefully in work zones. It’s particularly dangerous to speed or indulge in distractions while navigating lane changes, chutes and barriers.

Gripe about the cameras if you’d like, but please obey the law. It’s worth adding a few minutes to a trip if it means preventing injuries, death and destruction. If the threat of a ticket helps get the message across, we’re all for it.