New cameras are coming to some of Kentucky’s highway work zones.
The cameras will record speeders, but an actual officer will still be the one pulling them over.
It’s the result of a new state law passed this year.
You’ll know a camera is in place by a sign when entering the work zone.
“When those lights are flashing, the signage operators of the vehicle need to know, both commercial and private vehicles, need to know automated speed enforcement is happening at that time,” Kentucky State Police Major Eric Walker said.
Kentucky lawmakers passed House Bill 664 earlier this year, allowing for the cameras instead of troopers or officers to detect speeding.
“At its core, this new law is about one thing: saving lives,” KY Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said.
Officials say there were 1,300 work zone crashes last year, with 185 injuries and seven deaths.
“We are going to be looking. We are going to enforce this law. Because we want to save lives in Kentucky,” Major Walker said.
Kentucky State police say an officer will be stationed beyond the work zone. You won’t get a notification in the mail. You won’t get a text message. The way the law is written, an officer must still be the only one to pull you over in person.
At the onset, only four camera devices will be set up, one along Interstate 64 in Shelby County, one in the Lexington area, and others in eastern Kentucky and south-central Kentucky.
“The goal is not to hand out tickets. It is to prevent fatalities and protect both motorists and construction crews working in these high-risk environments,” Walker said.
Police want to stress that an actual officer will still issue the citation and if someone gets one another way, it’s a sign of fraudulent activity.
The law was named the Jared Lee Helton Act after a highway worker killed in 2019.
