HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — Drivers in Hancock County will soon see some new signs going up on I-70 letting them know they’re on camera.
Cameras will automatically snap photos of license plates on any cars going at least 11 miles per hour over the limit in a current I-70 construction zone between mile markers 95-105. The first violation will result in drivers receiving a warning. Speed again and drivers will find a $75 dollar fine in the mail. Every infraction after that will cost $150.
“There was a truck that flipped over last week on the highway in a construction zone,” truck driver Raymond Hines said.
Safety is the reason INDOT officials said they’re launching the program, which was approved by state lawmakers last year. They hope to slow drivers, reduce crashes and save lives. Hines believes it’s a good idea, even saying he’d like to see more police on the highway.
“You always got to be on guard,” Hines explained. “You never can tell who’s going to cut in front of you. Trucks can’t stop on a dime so we have to give ourselves a lot of room.”
But not everyone agrees.
“Everyone’s talking about it,” truck driver John DiMariangeli said. “The cameras going up – it’s not going to do nothing but compound the chaos.”
DiMariangeli worries the cameras will be too distracting, saying construction zone traffic is already a nightmare in central Indiana.
“It’s nuts for the truck drivers because as soon as they go up, all the people are going to be conscientious of what’s happening, they’re going to be looking towards them. They’re going to try to slow down, pull over, merge lanes and all that,” DiMariangeli added.
INODT said it’ll announce three more work sites getting cameras later this year. Over the next five years, the agency will be providing annual reports to lawmakers on the status of the project.
“There will be continued conversations around the topic, around the program and there is potential for it to become a permanent program,” INDOT Strategic Communications Director Natalie Garrett said.
The cameras will go up during the pre-enforcement period starting Aug. 14. During that time, violators will only be sent warnings. You can read more about the project here.
