A bill designed to improve highway safety in active work zones recently advanced the state Senate and is headed to Gov. Tom Wolf to be signed into law.
The bill authorizes the use of automated speed enforcement systems (ASES) in active work zones along federal funded highways under the jurisdiction of the Turnpike Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
When construction workers and an ASES are present, a driver who exceeds the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour will receive a written warning for the first offense, a $75 fine for the second offense and a $150 fine for subsequent offenses.
There will be at least two warning signs before entering the active work zone, indicating whether the ASES is active.
“This issue started back in 2014 when we met with transportation leaders in Berks County about the challenges of work zone safety with the increased number of construction projects coupled with the limited availability of State Police coverage,” Sen. David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks), a co-sponsor of the bill, said. “Since then, we’ve heard from family members of highway workers who fear the lives of their loved ones. We heard it loud and clear: protect the lives of workers and that’s what this bill will do.”