BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – New speed cameras are being rolled out to monitor Michigan drivers, and we now know the punishments if you’re caught speeding.
Key details:
- The cameras will only be in work zones.
- They will operation only when construction workers are present at the site.
- They’re not yet active, but are expected to be installed soon.
- Drivers going 10 mph or more over the speed limit will get the following penalties:
- First offense: Violation notice.
- Second offense: $150 fine.
- Third offense: $300 ticket.
Michigan’s new speed zone cameras will operate in work zones when construction crews are present. They’re expected to be installed soon.
Some drivers expressed concerns about the new system.
Dave Jaworski of Bloomfield Hills said, “Not a fan, not a fan at all. Terrible idea.”
Stacy Brand from Huntington Woods added, “It’s a great way to warn us and scare us and to make us obey, but I mean it’s a little extreme to do that.”
Many drivers support protecting construction workers, but feel that adding speed cameras crosses a line.
Jaworski noted, “I mean, I don’t think that big brother needs to be everywhere, and for the most part, traffic flows pretty easily, and there’s no reason to disrupt it.”
On the other hand, Democratic State House Representative Alabas Farhat emphasized the importance of the change.
Farhat said, “Thousands of accidents happening on our highways because of reckless driving and speeding, dozens of people that have been killed last year alone on the highways. That’s our goal to bring those numbers down.”
Bipartisan legislation signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer allows speed cameras to be installed in clearly marked Michigan Department of Transportation construction zones to protect workers and reduce crashes.
Rep. Farhat explained, “They’ll be signposted within a certain distance to let people know that cameras will be used in effect to enforce traffic safety.”
The cameras will only be active when workers are present.
If a driver is caught going 10 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, penalties escalate with repeated offenses: the first offense results in a violation notice, the second in a $150 fine, and the third in a $300 ticket.
Stacy Brand commented on the penalties, “I guess we would learn our lesson and learn it really quickly. We’re just not going to be happy about it.”
Despite bipartisan support, Republican State House Representative Matt Maddock raised concerns about the cameras’ calibration and operation.
Maddock said, “These cameras aren’t calibrated. They won’t be taken down when construction stops, and they won’t stop operating when workers aren’t present,” adding, “It’s just another tool to funnel taxpayer dollars.”
The Michigan Department of Transportation aims to have the cameras installed by this year, but full implementation is more likely in 2027, as the process cannot happen overnight.