Maryland leaders are working on a plan to significantly boost the fine for speeding in a work zone.

Under the legislation, called the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act, drivers caught on camera speeding in a work zone will be fined $290, up from the current fine of $40.

Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller said the legislation will “better protect the men and women who do the vital jobs of building and maintaining the roads we rely on every day.”

Last March, six highway workers were killed in a crash on Interstate 695 in Baltimore County. Speeding and a lack of adequate signage were cited as contributors to that crash, which was just one of 1,200 instances of Maryland drivers crashing into work zones in 2023.

On any given day, there are about 1,000 highway workers on the job across Maryland.

According to a news release, the legislation also removes restrictions that limit enforcement in work zones to allow more flexibility in installing cameras. This includes the requirement that all speed cameras have a physical operator present.

If the legislation is approved, it would also allow for drivers to immediately be cited for violations within a work zone, eliminating the requirement that prohibits citations from being issued during a 30-day ‘warning period’ upon initial deployment of a work zone camera.