Speed cameras debut in Washington work zones
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The cameras are portable and mounted on trailers to catch speeders. Photos courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation
Washington state is deploying portable cameras to catch drivers speeding through highway work zones, with tickets costing $248 for repeat violators.
Why it matters: State transportation officials say crashes in construction zones rose 17% from 2023 to 2024, after trending downward during the pandemic years.
- This week, a worker was injured in a collision with a semi truck in a work zone along Interstate 90, WSDOT posted on social media.
State of play: The first work zone speed camera went up last week.
- Five more are expected to be in operation this summer, WSDOT spokesperson Barbara LaBoe told Axios in an email.
How it works: The cameras take images of vehicles that travel over the posted speed limits in active work zones.
- The Washington State Patrol reviews the data captured by the cameras to decide whether a citation should be issued.
- Notices of infraction are mailed to the registered owner within 30 days. They're recorded as non-moving violations, meaning they don't affect a person's driving record or insurance, per WSDOT.
- A driver's first violation won't cost anything, but any tickets after that would be $248.
Zoom in: As of Tuesday, the first camera had been used in work zones along Interstate 5 near Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), on State Route 8 near Elma, and on U.S. Route 12 in Grays Harbor County, LaBoe wrote.
- Through May 2, the department also plans to set up the camera along State Route 18 in King County and at additional spots on I-5 by JBLM, LaBoe said.
What they're saying: "Too many workers have been injured or killed, and statistics show drivers are not slowing down," WSDOT secretary Julie Meredith said in a news release this month.
By the numbers: Washington had 1,607 crashes in Washington work zones in 2024, per WSDOT data shared with Axios.
- That's up from 1,377 in 2023, and nearly matching the 1,676 work zone crashes recorded statewide in 2019, the agency said.
What's next: LaBoe said some cameras aren't arriving until early July, so it will be later in the summer before all six are up and running.