The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has initiated a five-year pilot program involving the use of camera technology in an effort to improve safety in the state’s work zones.
Authorized in 2023 by the state legislature, the Indiana Safe Zones program will monitor and endorse speed limits in worksites throughout the state. The move comes following the deaths of 33 motorists in 2023 as a result of crashes in INDOT work zones and work zone backups. By the end of May 2024, 14 more deaths and 487 injuries, either drivers or their passen-gers, were reported before the program began in August.
“The goal of the Safe Zones program is to slow drivers down, reduce crashes, and most importantly, save lives,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “Speed continues to be a factor in work zone crashes and changing driver behavior is crucial to making work zones safer for drivers and road workers. For everyone’s safety, I urge drivers to wear their seat belts, avoid distractions, and follow the posted speed limit.”…