Speed camera enforcement to start May 5 on northeast side; drivers face fines of up to $150 for speeding

INDIANAPOLIS – The grace period will soon be over for drivers on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

Enforcement in the construction “Safe Zone” will start on May 5, meaning drivers with multiple violations could face fines of up to $150.

The Indiana Department of Transportation installed speed cameras along the Clear Path I-465/I-69 construction zone. Earlier this year, INDOT instituted a “pre-enforcement” phase so drivers could get used to the idea.

Signs saying “Speed limit, photo enforced” are posted in the construction zone. Cameras capture the license plate numbers of drivers who speed through the area. Drivers caught going more than 11 mph over the posted speed limit received a “courtesy notice” in the mail.

Since the pre-enforcement phase began, more than 90,000 such notices have been sent.

Starting on May 5, those courtesy notices will be a thing of the past. Instead, drivers who exceed the speed limit by 11 mph will receive a violation notice.

Here are the penalties:

• First violation: Zero-fine warning
• Second violation: $75 civil fine
• Third and subsequent violations: $150 civil fine

Here’s how it works: the system uses speed timing devices to scan vehicles as they pass through work zones. When a vehicle is going 11 mph or more than the posted speed limit, the system captures an image of the license plate.

The information is then validated, and violations are issued to the vehicle owner by mail. The collected fines go toward the state’s General Fund.

INDOT said workers must be present at the time of a violation for it to be valid. Signs are posted to notify drivers that they’re being monitored by an automated system.

“It’s crucial for drivers to slow down in work zones,” said INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist. “Speeding in work zones puts construction crews, drivers, and their passengers at risk of injury or even death. Driver behavior, such as speeding, is a recurring factor in work zone crashes and incidents. The Safe Zones program is another tool at our disposal to make work zones safer for everyone.”

The Indiana General Assembly authorized the Safe Zones program during the 2023 legislative session. It allows INDOT to deploy Safe Zones at up to four sites at any given time.

While the Clear Path construction zone is the only such active zone, INDOT installed a Safe Zone on I-70 in Hancock County last summer. The agency said it saw a 70% reduction in speeding.