New fine system in place for work zone violations in Virginia
Drivers can expect more severe fines associated with work zone violations starting on July 1.
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - On July 1, many laws in Virginia become active after approval from the Virginia General Assembly. One of the new legislations in place is a change to how work zone violation fines will be assigned to people caught breaking the rules.
Before the rule change, drivers could expect to pay anywhere up to $500 per infraction. The finalized dollar amount was at the will of the court. With the law implementations, violations in a work zone will have rigid guidelines for fines which increase for every sequential infraction recorded.
- For the first offense, drivers will be fined $350.
- For the second offense within 12 years, drivers will be fined $500.
- For the third offense, and each offense recorded after, drivers will be fined $750.
Though the law just went in place, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) encourages all drivers to be vigilant on the roads, and to be aware of work zones on their commutes.
“Going slowly, safely and with complete focus is safe for both you and the folks working there,” Ken Slack, communications specialist for VDOT Staunton District, said.
Slack emphasized the importance of patience on the roadways, especially when work zones are around. People in the Shenandoah Valley have seen an increased amount of highway work zones since the beginning of the I-81 corridor project. Though the Valley has had more work zones pop up, Slack said it’s important to remember the inconvenience will settle down once the project is finished.
“It is easy to just get caught up in the fact that ‘Oh, I’m getting slowed down, this is an inconvenience,’ because there is congestion here or a stop paddle during a flagging operation when there is someplace you need to be,” He said.
Work zones are not a first resort for VDOT. Slack said they are only implemented if a repair or construction requires a traffic shift and/or lane closures for VDOT employees to work safely.
“We urge folks to keep in mind that we are not out there for no reason,” Slack said. “There’s maintenance that needs to be done, there’s new construction that needs to be done and we do it in a way that w minimize traffic delays but sometimes they are inevitable.”
For people who travel regularly through a work zone — like the I-81 work zones near Staunton and the Route 33 bridge interchange project in Harrisonburg — Slack said it’s always a good idea to check on the status of the project because they can change rapidly. Also, he encourages drivers to give their full attention to the road at all times, but especially while approaching or driving through a work zone.
“Even though the work zone may not change dramatically day-to-day, there are different operations that could take place that might mean a different lane is closed, a different type of traffic restriction this afternoon than we saw this morning,” Slack said. “It’s entirely possible that work zone could change.”
Though the work zones help protect the VDOT employees and the contracted workers, Slack said four out of five injuries in a work zone were from the driver of the vehicle, not the employee working in the zone.
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