LANSING, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills into law that will allow cameras to be added to school buses and construction zones in an effort to make Michigan roads safer.
House Bills 4132 and 4133, sponsored by Rep. Will Snyder, D-Muskegon, and Rep. Mike Mueller, R-Linden, will add work zone safety cameras in marked areas to help reduce crashes and protect construction workers. Currently, 23 other states use work zone cameras.
Officials say these cameras will help protect construction workers as crashes in work zones continue to happen.
Last year, Michigan State Police recorded more than 8,000 crashes related to work zones, with 24 fatalities.
Authorities will be able to use evidence of violations from the cameras to issue written warnings and civil fines for speeding.
“Maintaining Michigan’s roads is vital for our state’s economic development and success,” said Snyder. “In order to accomplish this, we must first ensure that our road workers are safe while doing their jobs. This legislation will help combat speeding and reckless driving in construction zones, which will protect our essential road workers and drivers alike.”
In addition, Whitmer also signed bills that allow cameras to be added to school buses to track motorists who fail to stop.
House Bills 4928, 4929 and 4930, sponsored by Rep. Nate Shannon, D-Sterling Heights, and Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, will help keep children safe as they enter and exit their school buses.
“Riding the bus to school should be a safe and fun experience for our children, plain and simple,” said Carter. “We’ve worked hard to discourage people from dangerously driving around school buses during the pick-up and drop-off period. We’ve put traffic laws and fines in place and now violators will not only pay fines, but schools will receive a portion of those fines that can be put to use back in the school district. Every step we take to make sure our kids get to and from school safely is a step in the right direction, putting them and their protection first.”
The funds collected from traffic fines for failing to stop for a school bus will be distributed to the school district that operates that bus.
