If you speed in a Maryland highway work zone, be prepared to pay a hefty fine.
A new tiered system of fines will go into place Jan. 1, and drivers could pay as much as $1,000.
Maryland lawmakers passed the Road Worker Protection Act after a driver crashed into a construction zone in Baltimore County in 2023, killing six workers.
“The speeding has got to stop,” said John Seng, who chairs Safe Roads Maryland
That's what lawmakers are hoping will happen. The new tiered system of fines will be based on how much the driver exceeds the speed limit.
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For example, if you're going between 12 and 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, the fine will be $60. Fines get progressively higher from there — for super speeders going 40 or more over the limit, the fine is $500, if workers are present, it'll cost you a grand.
“When it's a work construction zone with a concentration of people simply trying to do their jobs, it sends the message to people that, again, enough is enough,” Seng said. “Well, you pay and you're going to pay until you slow down.”
The law also requires signs and blue flashing lights when workers are present so drivers will have plenty of warning the work zone is ahead.
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“We want everyone to travel safely through our work zones,” said Teri Soos of the State Highway Administration. “Travel at a safe speed, move over when possible and really pay attention to those barrels and those lights and those signs.”
The new law also allows for more cameras in larger work zones and better camera technology to detect speeders.
Advocates say the point is to slow drivers down, but if they won't, they're hoping the fines will encourage them to let off the gas.
Last year, nearly 336,000 citations were issued for work zone speed camera violations in Maryland.
