“Know the Zone.” That’s the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s latest campaign.
Part of that initiative includes a pilot program, which uses automated cameras to monitor traffic in certain work zones.
“This is not a gotcha campaign. This is not a revenue-generating campaign. There’s not 24/7 enforcement,” said Josh Morgan, DOT spokesman.
The DOT will be able to position the cameras in just three, preemptively marked work zones with the hope of creating safer driving habits in the state.
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“I can’t believe it,” said Newington’s Vincent Anthony. “There’s too much technology as it is.”
The cameras are positioned on top of white SUVs, with warning signs positioned up to 500 feet in advance.
“The citation is going to be mailed to the registered vehicle owner, so if your friend or family member is borrowing your car or your kids are taking your car and they’re speeding through a work zone and you’re the owner of that vehicle, you’re the one who’s going to get that citation,” Morgan said.
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Morgan said the cameras will only issue a citation for driving 15 mph or more over the posted speed limit.
“We have a partnership with the State Police Centralized Infractions Bureau," Morgan said. "They’re going to be verifying the data, verifying the citations before they go out the door. It’s important to remind people that because this is using license plate data, we’re not taking photos of drivers or anything of that nature."
The first violation prompts just a warning.
The second, and the person registered to that vehicle will receive a $75 ticket, with all ensuing infractions warranting a $150 fine.
“I think it might anger some people, more teenagers because we’re more reckless at driving I’ll admit, and so if we’re driving fast and we get caught, it’s not going to be nice on insurance for our parents,” said Westbrook’s Allison Vrajczewski.
“If a cop was there, you’d think they might radio ahead or something. I’d prefer to see a policeman there,” said Newington’s Dennis Poitras.
Over the last four years, there’s been more than 3,600 crashes in Connecticut work zones, resulting in 13 deaths and 37 serious injuries, according to DOT data.
Anthony knows that risk first-hand.
“I work construction myself and it is a big issue but people just need to be more alert, put the phone down, pay attention,” he said.
At the end of the year, DOT will present its findings from the pilot program. That data can then inform policy makers as to whether or not the system should be expanded on in the future.
