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SPARROWS POINT, MD (April 22, 2025) – In the first two months of a new tiered fine structure in Maryland for work zone speed violations, more than 48,000 citations were issued by the Maryland Safe Zones Automated Speed Enforcement system. Those numbers include 23 citations at the $1,000 level recording a vehicle traveling more than 40 miles per hour above the posted speed in a work zone where workers were present.  

In one case, a vehicle was recorded traveling 134 mph in an active work zone on I-695 (Baltimore Beltway). Another instance on I-695 recorded speed of 132 mph, also in an active work zone.  

"Reckless driving at high speeds is a dangerous weapon in motion," Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller said. "Every second of carelessness on the road can steal a lifetime from someone else. Work zone safety is a shared responsibility with each of us choosing to slow down, stay focused, and value every life in the zone." 

Preliminary data from January and February for the new tiered fine structure were unveiled Tuesday by Lieutenant Governor Miller, who joined Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld, officials from the Maryland State Highway Administration, Maryland State Police and the Maryland Transportation Authority and private industry partners to raise awareness of work zone safety during National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 21-25, 2025. This year's theme for the national observance is Respect the Zone – So We All Get Home.  

Each day, Maryland has about 300 active highway construction, maintenance and utility work zones with more than 1,000 workers deployed. From 2019 to 2023, there were 7,110 work zone-related crashes in Maryland, an average of more than 1,400 each year. Those crashes resulted in 2,587 injuries and 45 deaths – those injuries and deaths occurred to vehicle drivers and passengers as well as work zone crews. In 2024, Maryland had more than 1,300 work zone crashes and 18 work zone deaths, including the six workers who lost their lives in the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse. As of mid-April, there have been 251 work zone crashes in 2025. 

“Protecting the brave men and women who maintain our highways and keep our roads safe for all Marylanders is ingrained in everything we do across the Department," said Transportation Secretary Wiedefeld. “Thanks to the Moore-Miller Administration's leadership and support from the General Assembly, the Department is making targeted investments in programs and policies to make our transportation system safer for everyone. We'll continue to encourage all drivers to slow down, obey the speed limit and pay attention when they travel through work zones."  

Governor Moore has proclaimed Wednesday, April 23, as “Go Orange Day," and Government House in Annapolis will be lit orange that day. Other events in Maryland associated with National Work Zone Awareness Week include the third annual Unity Ride procession of state and contractor vehicles, also April 23, from 11 a.m. to noon around the west side of I-695 and passing by the March 2023 crash site; a social media “storm" Thursday, April 24, and a moment of silence Friday, April 25, encouraging the public to pause 60 seconds to honor lives lost in work zone crashes. 

At a press event on a closed segment of I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) near MD 151 and North Point Boulevard in Sparrows Point, Lieutenant Governor Miller discussed the urgent need for drivers to pay attention in work zones, slow down and adhere to Maryland's Move Over Law, which requires drivers to slow down or, if possible, move over one lane when approaching any stopped car or other vehicle with hazard lights or warning signals. 

Last year the state implemented several recommendations from the Work Zone Safety Work Group, including allowing speed cameras to be placed in more work zones and increasing the number of cameras in larger work zones. The new fine structure for work zone speed violations took effect January 1, 2025, and is a provision of the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act approved by the General Assembly in 2024. The tiered system applies to citations issued from an automated speed enforcement system, and issues fines based on the speed a vehicle travels above the posted speed limit (see chart). Fines double when workers are present in the work zone, 

Data from the first months of the program is preliminary, but early trends suggest motorists are getting the message. Citations in 2025 citations are lower than 2023 and 2024 for the same periods, even with more camera deployments. Many drivers are slowing down to avoid additional fines, but higher fines are in place for those who refuse to drive safely. 

“Early numbers from the automated speed enforcement program that show thousands of people are continuing to speed in our work zones are disturbing and unacceptable," said State Highway Administrator Will Pines. “Driver behavior must change, and nobody wants a speeding citation and we, frankly, wish we had zero citations." 

The National Work Zone Awareness Week observance is one element of Maryland's Work Zone Safety campaign, which launched in 2024. In its first year the campaign generated more than 68 million impressions, reflecting widespread reach. This year the campaign will utilize social media, billboards, digital ads, streaming services, cable television and a partnership with the Baltimore Orioles. For more, visit roads.maryland.gov and click the Work Zone Safety banner. 

Motorists are always encouraged to plan ahead and learn where active construction projects are underway before they drive. For a list of major State Highway Administration projects, visit the Project Portal​ page. Drivers can go to www.md511.org for real-time traffic updates.