Best Practice

BEST PRACTICE:

I2-3: Automated Speed Enforcement Systems

DESCRIPTION:

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) systems are used to enhance enforcement of work zone speed limits. ASE systems consist of speed-activated photo radar devices that capture the image of license plates for vehicles exceeding the speed limit. Violators are identified in coordination with the state motor vehicle division, based on vehicle ownership and a quality review of radar/photo data. This information is then used to process citations which are issued to drivers through the mail.
ASE systems typically include advisory signage that is placed well before the speed camera installation, clearly indicates that ASE systems are in use, specifies the posted speed limit in effect through the work zone, and frequently incorporates the speed feedback display function informing drivers of their measured speed as they approach the enforcement area.
ASE systems in work zones function similarly to permanent speed camera installations used in many jurisdictions to enforce speed limits through automatic citations. These permanent setups are unmanned and often installed near schools or roads with high crash or fatality rates. Important differences include the permanence of the equipment and, in most cases, the requirement that vehicle mounted work zone ASE systems be continuously manned during operation. Additionally, the permanent installations are often used in lower speed settings, while the work zone ASE systems are only recommended for roadways with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour (mph) or higher.

REASON(S) FOR ADOPTING:

Work zones can be a challenging environment for enforcement of posted speeds due to greater physical constraints including narrowed lanes and shoulders, and physical barriers preventing safe areas for law enforcement vehicles to dwell or to pull over violators. Enforcement is greatly enhanced by the ability to identify and cite speeders without a physical traffic stop. Use of ASE systems is especially beneficial at work zones in high-speed areas where speed limit compliance is desired but where traditional traffic stops are operationally challenging.

PRIMARY BENEFIT(S):

ASE systems offer the dual benefit of capturing driver attention as well as encouraging compliance with posted speed limits as they enter the work zone, enhancing both motorist and construction crew safety. These systems have been shown to significantly reduce the number of drivers exceeding the posted speed limit, the number of crashes in the work zone, and the number of injuries and fatalities due to crashes in the work zone. Implementations of an ASE program have resulted in a significant increase in compliance with work zone speed limits and corresponding improvements in work zone safety. In Maryland, long-term deployment of ASE systems has resulted in an 80 percent reduction in speeding violations, while work-zone fatalities have dropped by half in the three years since the Maryland program’s inception.
While there has been occasional public backlash against the use of speed cameras in some locations, the use of ASE systems in work zones is widely supported by the agencies that use them. Overall, these systems have proven to be very effective at obtaining voluntary compliance to the speed limits from most drivers.

MOST APPLICABLE LOCATION(S)/PROJECT(S):

These systems are most applicable in long-term work zones on expressways or controlled access highways (speed limit of 45 mph or higher) in situations where high compliance with posted speeds is desired but geometric constraints prevent speed enforcement by a live law enforcement presence.

STATE(S) WHERE USED:

Maryland, Illinois, Washington

SOURCE/CONTACT(S):

Kayode Adenaiya, Office of Traffic and Safety, Maryland SHA
Phone: (410) 787-5864
E−mail: kadenaiya@sha.state.md.us