Pennsylvania's infrastructure needs a lot of work. Around 27% of the keystone state's roads are in poor condition. But motorists need to improve, as well.
As reported by Pittsburgh's WTAE, records indicate more than a half-million speeding violations have been issued at construction zones since Pennsylvania began using work zone speed cameras in 2020.
This is an alarming statistic not only because of the safety concerns it raises for construction crews in work zones, but also because Pennsylvania needs more infrastructure upgrades than most states.
So far, fines have not been enough to deter motorists from speeding. The state collected $1.7 million in fines from more than 219,000 violations the nine months that the cameras operated last year, according to WTAE.
Violations increased 45% during the first nine months of 2021 and fines more than doubled to $3.6 million.
When a work zone uses a camera, two warning signs for drivers are supposed to be posted. After a warning for their first offense, motorists driving at least 11 miles per hour receive a $75 ticket for a second offense. The fine is $150 for a third offense.
PennDOT said the pandemic caused a reduction in construction and traffic.
Construction zone crashes were down last year but PennDOT said it is unclear whether speed cameras were a factor due to the pandemic. Crash data is not available for this year.
