More than a decade ago, New York’s Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program began which focuses on speed violations in construction and maintenance zones. Cameras detect speeding vehicles and issue summonses to the owners of those vehicles by mail. Last year 167,000 violations were issued statewide.
Regional Director Lance MacMillan says that protecting road crews is a top priority for the agency.
“There was an incident in York County Pennsylvania yesterday where three workers were killed when an errant vehicle traveled into the work zone and cost them their lives,” MacMillan said. “We want to train our young drivers and people on the highway system that amber lights mean a family member is out there doing work to provide a safe and reliable system.”
Many workers are killed or injured every year while working on our roads, MacMillan has some startling statistics.
“We had 214 work zone intrusions, and that occurs when any vehicle drives into a work zone and hits one of our vehicles, hits some of our equipment, knocks over cones, or just fails to yield to the activity in the zone,” he said. “When you’re in a rush and you are pushing your time frame to the limits you sometimes make bad decisions and that can cost people their lives.”
