Lt. Governor Miller Testifies in Support of the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act

ANNAPOLIS, MD— Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller today testified in front of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in support of the Maryland Road Worker Protection Act of 2024. The legislation will significantly increase enforcement measures in work zones to better protect Maryland’s road workers – and was crafted with recommendations of the Moore-Miller Administration’s Work Zone Safety Work Group, chaired by the Lieutenant Governor and made up of a diverse team of highway safety experts, law enforcement, labor leaders and roadway workers.

“This legislation protects the men and women who place themselves in harm’s way on the frontline of service – and it is a moral imperative that we protect our road workers who provide a critical public service to our state” said Lt. Gov. Miller. “Our administration’s bill utilizes technologies that weren't available 15 years ago, and strengthens enforcement in order to change driver behavior. By intercepting dangerous driving habits, we can lower the number of crashes and fatalities across Maryland roads – making a safer state for road workers, motorists, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians.”

Earlier this month, Lt. Governor Miller testified in the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of this legislation. This bill, part of the Moore-Miller Administration’s 2024 legislative package, supports the administration’s commitment to making Maryland a state that serves by protecting our front line workers. The Maryland Road Worker Protection Act (SB 479/HB 513) implements the legislative recommendations of the Governor’s Work Zone Safety Work Group to protect Maryland road workers and initiate a culture change among motorists to adopt safer driving behaviors. The bill increases Maryland’s lowest-in-the-nation work zone automated speed enforcement fines from $40 to $290 to match the citation amount of a live officer stop. Repeat offenders with three or more citations would face fines of up to $1,000 for behavior that continually places road workers at risk. The legislation also expands enforcement flexibility to remove the requirement that cameras be manned. This bill reinvests the revenue from work zone automated speed enforcement fines back into funding highway and work zone safety programs. Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller chaired the Work Zone Safety Group.