Nearly 50K Speeders Caught: See MD’s New Fines

MARYLAND — Maryland issued over 48,000 speeding tickets via cameras in work zones in the first two months after higher fines took effect.

Those tickets included 23 worth the maximum $1,000 fine for traveling at least 40 mph over the speed limit when workers are present.

Speed cameras caught one vehicle going 134 mph and another going 132 mph. Both were driving through active work zones on Interstate 695.

"Reckless driving at high speeds is a dangerous weapon in motion," Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said in a press release. "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."

Miller also reminded Marylanders of the state’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.

Miller has led a crackdown on work zone speeding since March 2023, when six workers died in a high-speed crash into a construction site on I-695.

The Maryland General Assembly in 2024 passed the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act, which implemented a new fine structure on New Year’s Day 2025. Fines double when crews are present.

Work zone speed cameras now issue tickets following this structure.

• 12 to 15 mph over: $60 ($120 if workers are present)
• 16 to 19 mph over: $80 ($160 if workers are present)
• 20 to 29 mph over: $140 ($280 if workers are present)
• 30 to 39 mph over: $270 ($540 if workers are present)
• At least 40 mph over: $500 ($1,000 if workers are present)

Preliminary data from January and February shows that drivers are getting the message and slowing down. Citations in 2025 are lower than in 2023 and 2024 for the same periods, even with more camera deployments.

There are still more speeders than desired, however.

"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," State Highway Administrator Will Pines said in the release. "Driver behavior must change, and nobody wants a speeding citation and we, frankly, wish we had zero citations."

Officials announced the data at a Tuesday press conference on a closed-down section of I-695 in Sparrows Point.

The announcement was part of National Work Zone Awareness Week.

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, resulting in 2,587 injuries and 45 deaths.

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," Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said. "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."

Gov. Wes Moore proclaimed Wednesday as "Go Orange Day." Government House in Annapolis was lit orange that day.

Other events in Maryland associated with National Work Zone Awareness Week include Wednesday’s third annual Unity Ride procession of state and contractor vehicles around the west side of I-695 and passing by the March 2023 crash site.

A social media storm will be held on Thursday, and a moment of silence is planned for Friday.

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.