Highway Work Zone Law

This act includes various provisions relating to the safe operation of motor vehicles to ensure the safety of highway workers, emergency workers and other motorists.

Penalties & Fines
This act increases various penalties for offenses occurring within highway work zones or construction zones. Under this act, any person convicted of a second or subsequent moving violation within a work zone shall be assessed a fine of $75. The act provides that a person who is convicted of speeding or passing a vehicle within a work zone when a highway worker is present a second or subsequent time shall be assessed a fine of $300 in addition to any other fine authorized by law (Section 304.582).

Endangerment of a Highway Worker
The act also creates the crime of "endangerment of a highway worker." The act provides that if a person commits the offense of endangerment of a highway worker in which no injury or death results the person shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 and shall have 4 points assessed to their driver’s license. The person shall be guilty of aggravated endangerment of a highway worker if a death or injury results.

If a highway worker is injured or killed in a work zone, the offender shall be subject to a fine of not more than $5,000 for an injury and not more than $10,000 if death resulted and have 12 points assessed to his or her license.

Under that act, a person commits the offense of endangerment of a highway worker if the motorist:
  1. Exceeds the posted speed limit by 15 mph or more;
  2. Passes another vehicle in a work zone and such offense results in the death or injury of a highway worker;
  3. Fails to stop for a work zone flagman or fails to obey traffic control signals erected in the work zone;
  4. Physically assaults or attempts to assault a highway worker with a motor vehicle or other instrument;
  5. Intentionally strikes or moves barrels, barriers, signs or other devices erected to control the flow of traffic for a reason other than avoidance of an obstacle, emergency or to protect the health and safety of another person; or
  6. Commits various offenses in which points may be assessed under section 302.302 (Section 304.585) The act provides for the assessment of 4 points for an endangerment of a highway worker violation and 12 points for an aggravated endangerment of a highway worker violation (Section 302.302).
With this new law, is it really worth speeding in a work zone? Be safe on the roadway and obey all traffic laws. Your life or someone else’s may be at stake.