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5 things to know: Automated tickets coming to Michigan work zones, school buses

A school bus on the left and construction zone on the right
Drivers who exceed the speed limit by 10 mph in work zones and those who fail to stop for school buses can be fined. (Shutterstock)
  • Michigan is poised to use automatic trackers to catch speeding in work zones, failure to stop for school buses
  • Supporters hope measures will reduce injuries, deaths
  • Critics fear loss of funds for libraries, privacy concerns

Michigan drivers pushing the speed limit in active work zones or blowing past school bus stop signs could soon be caught on camera as state officials prepare an automated enforcement system to track violations.

Shortly before the Democratic-majority legislative term drew to a close, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation that authorizes the Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan State Police to install cameras in construction zones that will automatically track speeds and ticket drivers going at least 10 miles per hour above the posted speed limit. 

Separate legislation also signed by Whitmer calls for similar camera tracking technology to be installed on stop-arms of school buses that pop up when bus drivers are dropping off or picking up children. 

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“Whether they’re driving on them or working on them, these bills will make sure that every Michigander is safe on our roads,” Whitmer said in a statement announcing the new laws.

Once implemented, the new laws will be a significant shift from current practice, which requires ticketed traffic violations to be either witnessed by law enforcement officers or studied by crash investigators.

Related:

It’s not the only big traffic safety change approved this term: In 2023, Whitmer signed legislation barring handheld cell phone use behind the wheel, a change police say has led to fewer crashes by distracted drivers

Here’s a look at what the new laws do, when drivers can expect to see them on the roads and more. 

How it will work — and when

Automatic speeding enforcement in work zones can begin one year after the law takes effect. That clock starts in the spring, meaning automatic construction zone tickets could be issued beginning in early 2026.

Over the next year, state transportation officials will develop the system for automated speed enforcement, acquiring necessary equipment and technology needed to set up in MDOT work zones that aren’t separated from traffic by concrete barriers.

Traffic sensors will be powered by a light detection and ranging system, known as LiDAR, which uses laser technology to determine individual vehicle speeds across multiple lanes. 

The system will also record an image of vehicle license plates and track the time, date and location where the image was taken. 

Drivers going 10 miles an hour or more over the posted speed limit will be issued a warning for the first violation, then fined up to $150 for a second violation within three years of the first and up to $300 for any subsequent violations. 

Trailers showing radar estimates of drivers’ speeds will still be a frequent presence in construction zones, but it’s the LiDAR systems that will determine whether a driver is issued a warning or ticket. 

Each of Michigan’s seven MDOT regions will be limited to four automated speed enforcement zones at a time. Signs must be posted a mile before the start of any work zone where the enforcement system is in effect.

Similar technology can also track instances of drivers failing to stop when a school bus is stopped with its red flashing lights and stop arms extended, which typically indicates kids are being dropped off or picked up. 

The school bus camera laws will be effective sometime in spring 2025 — 91 days after the Legislature adjourns for the year. Violators could face a civil fine of up to $500.

School districts aren’t required to install stop-arm cameras, but those that do so would be beneficiaries of any fines incurred from the violations caught on camera. Photos or videos captured of stop-arm traffic violations may be requested by law enforcement as evidence during any subsequent investigations.

Why it matters

Advocates for change say automated enforcement has worked as a deterrent in other states and could prevent avoidable injury or death on the roads. 

In 2023, state data shows there were more than 8,000 work zone crashes on Michigan roadways that resulted in 1,896 injuries and 24 deaths — up from 7,436 crashes in 2022. 

“The intention is strictly to change driver behavior,” said Lance Binoniemi of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, a trade group representing infrastructure construction companies around the state. 

Binoniemi and other supporters of the change cite successes in states like Maryland, which has been using automated cameras to track work zone speeds since 2009 and recently doubled fines for violations.

“We really paid attention to what other states were doing…this legislation really is a product of those analyses of the other state laws,” he said. 

When it comes to school bus stops, sponsoring Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, said the new laws will discourage reckless driving around school buses, which he said should be “safe and fun” for kids, not dangerous. 

Who’s paying for it? 

Costs associated with setting up and running the automated work zone ticketing system would be covered by the fines themselves, which will be diverted into a separate fund maintained by MDOT.

Money from the school bus-related fines will go directly to local school districts for enhancing transportation safety.

That’s a departure from state precedent — under the Michigan Constitution, penal fines are designated to go to libraries. Though most minor traffic violations are now designated as civil infractions and therefore not technically covered, lawmakers have historically adhered to the premise and directed speeding ticket revenues to local libraries. 

Library officials have no qualms with the automated enforcement proposals, but they fear a big budget hit from the new laws. 

Debbie Mikula, executive director of the Michigan Library Association, told Bridge Michigan that there’s nothing stopping lawmakers from attempting similar constitutional workarounds in the future.

“This is a lot of money that's going to be diverted to pay for something that should be paid for in a different way,” she said. “We try to continue to educate all of our legislators. Obviously, we're not getting through.” 

How is the data used? 

The new laws stipulate that any images or other data captured can only be used for identifying and adjudicating violations. 

Images and data would not be allowed to be sold or shared with any third party and are exempt from the state’s Freedom of Information Act. 

Binoniemi, of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, said the work zone law is very “narrowly scoped” to only capture information necessary to capture violations where workers are present.

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Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan remain concerned about the privacy implications of the plan, as well as the precedent the laws set for ongoing surveillance of drivers. 

Will drivers be able to contest automatic tickets?

Yes. The registered owner of the vehicle could dispute the fine through a written affidavit or testimony in local court systems, particularly in cases where the owner of the car was not the driver when the fine was issued.

All fines issued under the work zone law must include a sworn statement from an automated speed enforcement system operator that inspects any recorded images indicating a violation. 

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