To curb the increasing number of fatalities occurring on highway work zones statewide, Pennsylvania lawmakers are proposing speed camera installation. Both the House and Senate have versions of the same bill aimed at reducing speeding through work zones. Each year, thousands of serious injuries and nearly two dozen fatalities occur in work zones along Pennsylvania highways. Representative Jim Marshall believes the cameras will slow people down and save lives.
House Bill 1748 and Senate Bill 172
Speeding, narrow lane shifts, and driving on uneven pavement are the main causes of accidents in work zones. Each year, millions of drivers exceed the posted speeds in work zones. Recognizing the needed steps to curb the harm, both the Pennsylvania House and Senate have introduced bills to combat the problem. House Bill 1748 imposes fines starting at $40 for drivers who exceed the posted speed limit in work zones. The Senate Bill 172 was proposed because at least one member of that body believed the fines were too low to be effective. The Senate version of the bill increases fines starting at $100.
In both versions of the bill, there is to be a pilot program lasting three to five years and will apply to construction projects that receive federal funding. PennDOT plans to install cameras in active work zones on major interstate highways. The cameras will only be active when workers are present, and when road construction ends for the day, the cameras will be turned off. The goal is to have people slow down in work zones. Best of all, the bills are based on a similar program started in Maryland in 2010.
In Maryland, SafeZones Automated Speed Enforcement systems use laser technology to detect speed measurements of passing cars in work zones. The technology then cites drivers who exceed the speed limit by 12 miles per hour with a $40 fine. The first year, seven percent of drivers received citations. By 2015, less than one percent received citations and accident rates were reduced with only six persons losing their lives. Legislators in Pennsylvania continue to wrangle with the details as work remains for a final version of the bill to pass.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates Represent Victims of Car Accidents
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident due to the negligence of another driver, the Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates can help. For a free consultation, contact us online or call us at 215-567-6600. We are centrally located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Voorhees, New Jersey allowing us to serve clients throughout the area.