More than 1,000 Marylanders go to work each day building and repairing our roads at about 300 work sites across the state. More than three times a day, one of those work zones is the site of a vehicle crash. One of those crashes, the result of two speeding cars losing control, killed six construction workers on March 22, 2023, on the Baltimore Beltway.
As alarming as those numbers are, they have not been enough to motivate Maryland drivers to slow down and pay attention. That is why the legislation that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently introduced, the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act of 2024, is needed more than ever.
Some of the changes are long overdue. For example, the proposed law would allow multiple automated speed cameras in work zones, and it would eliminate an outdated requirement for live speed camera operators. The law would allow automated speed cameras to issue citations to speeders as soon as they are operational, eliminating an unnecessary 30-day waiting period that leaves workers vulnerable during the early days of a project.
Men and women working in Maryland’s work zones are more than just a number. They are parents, siblings, friends and so much more, and they should be able to return home safely after a day’s work.
Dennis L. Martire, Reston
The writer is vice president and Mid-Atlantic regional manager of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.
