The state Department of Transportation reported that a driver was recently clocked at 139 miles per hour by their automated work zone speed cameras in a Monroe County work zone. This information, from WROC in Rochester, was sent to me by a friend who is a first responder for the Malone Callfiremen.

The cameras are part of the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement (AWZSE) program, a five-year program that is a joint effort by the state Department of Transportation and the New York State Thruway Authority to make highways safer. Legislation permitting this was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in September 2021.

Applicable information pertinent to AWZSE program include:

— Work zone speed enforcement will be located in construction or maintenance zones on New York State controlled access highways and parkways.

— Work zones with AWZSE will have clear signage leading up to the work zone.

— Each enforcement system is run through a daily self-check before capturing violations.

— After the initial warning period, if the driver of a vehicle fails to comply with the posted speed limit, the owner of that vehicle will receive a Notice of Liability in the mail.

— The system uses radar to identify any vehicle traveling equal to or faster than the posted speed limit, triggering the system to capture photos and the speed of the passing vehicle.

For the safety of drivers and highway construction and maintenance workers, the DOT reminds motorists to slow down and be alert in work zones. Reduced speed limits are applicable and enforceable 24 hours per day, seven days per week, even if no workers are present. Drivers must anticipate the presence of flaggers and obey their directions.

During 2022, there were 441 work zone intrusions on New York state roads maintained by the State Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority. A work zone intrusion is defined as an incident where a motor vehicle has entered a portion of the roadway that is closed due to construction or maintenance activity. Those crashes resulted in three fatalities and 56 injuries to highway workers and vehicle occupants.

In New York state, fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.

“There is no excuse for this lack of respect for our highway workers, work zones, yourself, and everyone else on our roadways,” according to the DOT. I couldn’t agree more.