Starting Monday, Indiana’s Safe Zones program will officially begin speed enforcement on the northeast side of Indianapolis, specifically along the Clear Path Interstate 465 and Interstate 69 construction zones.

The Indiana General Assembly authorized the pilot Safe Zones program in 2023, aiming to improve safety for both construction workers and drivers by using automated speed cameras within active work zones. Under state law, only four Safe Zones locations can operate at once — and currently, the I-465/I-69 Clear Path project is the only active site. Earlier this year, the location completed its pre-enforcement warning phase, giving drivers time to adjust to the upcoming rules.

Here’s how the system works: if a vehicle is detected traveling 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit, a motion-activated camera will capture the vehicle’s license plate. After the violation is verified, a notice will be mailed to the registered vehicle owner. The penalty system escalates: the first violation results in a warning (with no fine), the second violation carries a $75 fine, and the third and all subsequent violations come with a $150 fine each.

The Safe Zones program was first tested in Hancock County on Interstate 70 between August and October 2023. According to the Worksite Speed Control Pilot Program’s 2024 annual report, 17,908 enforceable speeding events were recorded during that period, and 47% of those drivers received courtesy notices in the mail.

In the Hancock County test zone, the report showed that enforceable speeding events on the eastbound lanes dropped from 82% in mid-September to 50% by the end of October. On the westbound lanes, events initially spiked to 90% but later dropped to 57% by mid-October. Importantly, the data also revealed that average vehicle speeds decreased by up to 6 mph when drivers saw warning signs and knew enforcement was present.

“It’s crucial for drivers to slow down in work zones,” INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist emphasized in a news release. “Speeding in work zones puts construction crews, drivers and their passengers at risk of injury or even death. Driver behavior, such as speeding, is a recurring factor in work zone crashes and incidents. The Safe Zones program is another tool at our disposal to make work zones safer for everyone.”

Fines collected from violations will go into the Indiana state general fund. Drivers can pay fines online using a debit or credit card, by phone at 833-840-0222, or by mailing a check or certified money order to the Indiana Department of Transportation.

With this program, Indiana joins a growing list of states — including Arizona, Washington, New York, Connecticut, and Virginia — that have active pilot Safe Zones initiatives. Meanwhile, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Maryland have established permanent Safe Zones programs to protect workers and manage driver behavior in work zones.

The Clear Path project, one of Indiana’s largest ongoing infrastructure efforts, is part of a broader plan to improve traffic flow, increase capacity, and enhance safety on two of the state’s most vital interstates. INDOT officials hope that the Safe Zones enforcement will not only protect workers in the near term but also encourage long-term changes in driver habits across Indiana’s highways.

Originally reported by Grayson Joslin in Daily Reporter.