A new pilot program using speed cameras to identify speeding vehicles on I-5 in Washington launches this week.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is partnering with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and Washington State Patrol to reduce the number of speed-related crashes with a pilot program created by the state Legislature. Highway Speed Cameras placed on I-5 will track speed and license plates of speeding vehicles. The registered owners of the vehicles observed speeding will receive courtesy notices through the mail encouraging them to slow down – but there will be no fine to pay.
The goal of this program is to change driver behavior, prevent collisions and injuries and save lives. In 2023, the state saw an increase in the number of fatal and serious crashes, including 810 total roadway deaths. On state-run highways alone, there were 358 fatal or serious injury crashes where speeding was cited as a factor, and that does not include local roadway crashes. Speeding is one of the leading high-risk factors for fatal and serious injuries statewide, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
Speed Cameras Program Details
The pilot program is funded by $1 million from the state Legislature. It will be tested in eastern Washington at the following locations starting Thursday, April 10:
- Southbound Interstate 5 between Cook and Bow Hill roads in Skagit County.
This location was selected after program managers reviewed crash data and targeted roadways where speed was a factor in fatal and serious injury collisions. The location was also selected because it provided enough space between on- and off-ramps to obtain accurate data.
When a driver receives a courtesy notice, it informs them of the speed at which their vehicle was traveling and the potential cost of a ticket for that speed. The message on the courtesy notice focuses on safety. This program does not issue fines, nor does it affect driving records.
Following the pilot program’s conclusion in June, WSDOT will analyze the data from the cameras, review public feedback and report back to the Legislature.
New Safety Tool
These cameras will track speeds using the “average speed method.” This involves placing multiple cameras at locations and tracking the time it takes a vehicle to travel between two different measure points. The vehicle’s average rate of speed between those two locations will be used to determine if the driver was speeding. The cameras will hover 19 feet over the roadway from trailers placed on the side of the road. Cameras will remain in those locations until late June.
This program is different from the upcoming Work Zone Speed Camera Program, which aims to slow drivers as they pass through active road construction work zones. The Work Zone Speed Camera Program uses mobile cameras that will move to various work zones around the state, generating images that could result in a $248 infraction for the second violation and each additional infraction.
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