SPARROWS POINT, MD—Maryland officials are warning drivers to slow down and be alert in work zones after revealing that more than 48,000 citations were issued in the first two months of the state’s new tiered fine structure for work zone speed violations.

The new tiered fine structure for work zone speed violations, which took effect January 1, 2025, issues fines based on the speed a vehicle travels above the posted speed limit. The fines double when workers are present.

Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller warned Tuesday at a press conference that reckless driving at high speeds is a dangerous weapon in motion. “Every second of carelessness on the road can steal a lifetime from someone else. Work zone safety is a shared responsibility with each of us choosing to slow down, stay focused, and value every life in the zone.”

Of the 48,000 citations issued, 23 drivers were fined $1,000 for exceeding the speed limit by more than 40 miles per hour in active work zones. The highest speed recorded was 134 mph on I-695 (Baltimore Beltway), and another instance on the same highway recorded a speed of 132 mph.

These alarming figures were released during National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 21-25), which kicks off “Go Orange Day” on Wednesday, April 23. Governor Wes Moore has proclaimed the day as such, and Government House in Annapolis will be illuminated in orange to mark the occasion.

Each day, Maryland has about 300 active highway construction, maintenance and utility work zones with more than 1,000 workers deployed. From 2019 to 2023, there were 7,110 work zone-related crashes in Maryland, an average of more than 1,400 each year. Those crashes caused 2,587 injuries and 45 deaths among drivers, passengers, and work zone crews.

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) also announced other events for the week, including the third annual Unity Ride procession on April 23, a social media “storm” on April 24, and a moment of silence on April 25 to remember those killed in work zone crashes.

“Protecting the brave men and women who maintain our highways and keep our roads safe for all Marylanders is ingrained in everything we do across the Department,” said Transportation Secretary Wiedefeld. “Thanks to the Moore-Miller Administration’s leadership and support from the General Assembly, the Department is making targeted investments in programs and policies to make our transportation system safer for everyone. We’ll continue to encourage all drivers to slow down, obey the speed limit and pay attention when they travel through work zones.”

This year’s national theme is “Respect the Zone – So We All Get Home,” emphasizing the importance of driver caution to protect workers and fellow motorists.

The new tiered fine structure was a provision of the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act approved by the General Assembly in 2024. It follows the implementation of several recommendations from the Work Zone Safety Work Group, including allowing speed cameras in more work zones and increasing the number of cameras in larger zones.

While preliminary data from the first months of the program suggests a downward trend in citations compared to 2023 and 2024, officials are concerned about the high number of violations and urge drivers to change their behavior.

“Early numbers from the automated speed enforcement program that show thousands of people are continuing to speed in our work zones are disturbing and unacceptable,” said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. “Driver behavior must change, and nobody wants a speeding citation and we, frankly, wish we had zero citations.”

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via MDOT

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