Connecticut's highway work zone speed camera pilot program began Monday.
Under a state law passed in 2021, the state Department of Transportation is allowed to place speed cameras at only three highway work zones at any one time.
Drivers can find out locations of speed cameras on the DOT’s Know the Zone website. The cameras will initially be set up on I-95 in Norwalk and Westport, Willow Street Bridge in East Hartford and Route 8 between Seymour and Derby.
If a driver is going at least 15 mph above the posted speed limit, they will first be mailed a warning. A second violation results in a $75 fine. After that, each violation is $150. But the citations will not be reported on driving records, so they should not impact insurance rates.
“This is not a campaign to raise revenue for the Department of Transportation or the state of Connecticut,” DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said. “It’s a campaign to slow people down, reduce injuries and save lives [in] our work zones.”
Between 2019 and 2022, the state says there were 3,674 work zone crashes and 13 fatal accidents.
Morgan said speed cameras were set up before Monday’s program launch to gather data on driving habits. The DOT found drivers going 80 to 90 mph through work zones.
The $4 million program runs through the end of the year. The DOT will then assess the data to see whether the cameras were effective in reducing speeds in highway work zones.
Pennsylvania and Maryland, which have each operated more extensive speed camera programs for several years, say they have seen decreases in work zone accidents.
