Out of the nearly 2.8 million cars counted in construction zones in last year’s new speed camera program, nearly 25,000 drivers received written warnings, and more than 700 of them got fined at least $75, according to state data.

Officials said the first year’s results is a good sign for the pilot Know the Zone speed safety program, which aimed to get drivers to slow down in work zones. The Department of Transportation, which is already looking to do it again, placed cameras from April through December at three major projects: on the Westport-Norwalk line, East Lyme on I-95 and in Waterbury on I-84.

It's the first time that automobile traffic enforcement devices were used on Connecticut's highways," said Josh Morgan, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, which oversaw the program along with the state police.

The program came out of state legislation in 2021 and in hopes of getting drivers to slow down and prevent construction site accidents.

The department reported 2,566 crashes and 10 fatalities in work zones between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022. Over the years, DOT has heard from its construction workers about how fast drivers go through their zones, Morgan said.

"It's a dangerous job out there," he said.

He added drivers typically hit barriers or large pieces of equipment, which can damage vehicles, be unsafe for workers and harm drivers and passengers.

The legislation allowed the department to add three cameras at work zones across the state at a time to track drivers' speed and create a safety initiative campaign called "Know the Zone."

Signs were posted 300 and 100 feet before each construction zone, notifying drivers about the camera program in place there.

Anyone going at least 15 miles per hour over the speed limit received a letter in the mail from the state police with a photo of their license plate, warning them about their speed in the construction zone, and that they will receive a fine if they do it again.

After the written warning, the second offense was a $75 fine and every one following was $150.

Morgan said 2,774,478 drivers drove through construction zones during the campaign with drivers counted for each trip through the zone. This means the same person could be included multiple times in the total figure.

Of those, 541,920 went one to 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, while 24,875 went at least 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, resulting in 724 fines. The department did not give a breakdown of how many of these were $75 or $150 fines.

The money from the fines is going back to the state, which funded the campaign, including the cameras, billboards and social media and radio advertisements, Morgan said.

In general, Morgan believes the department accomplished its goals of getting drivers to slow down and make construction zone conditions safer. It was not meant to generate revenue, he added.

"Working with DOT to initiate a program to keep workers safe in work zones has been a priority for the Connecticut State Police," State Police Sergeant Christine Jeltema said.

Jeltema added state troopers have been affected by unsafe drivers in construction zones.

"In any highway construction zone, the main goal is to protect the safety of road workers, troopers and the motoring public," Jeltema said. "Our message to all drivers is to slow down for work zones so that everyone arrives home at the end of the work day."

Though three cameras were only allowed to be positioned at a time, each was located in a small SUV, so they could be moved to other smaller projects when not in use at one of the three main ones, Morgan said.

The mainstay locations were chosen because DOT already had speed data sensors in those areas that showed high speeds there, Morgan said.

Morgan added the short-term construction areas are dangerous, as drivers may not know about them as much as long-term projects.

Of the data the department reviewed so far, about 80 percent of vehicles followed the posted speed limits.

"It gives us some optimism that the program really made a difference for those 24,000 drivers that got that warning," Morgan said.

The department also talked with the construction zone workers during the campaign, and many said they noticed drivers slowing down and felt safer, he said.

Since the legislation only lasted for 2023, the DOT will have to create new legislation to keep the program going. Officials are preparing a report for future legislation based on the data they received in 2023, Morgan said.

Morgan added the department will know where it wants to put the cameras if the program continues as that legislative discussion happens.

The department also doesn't yet know which construction zones had the most drivers speeding, though one driver in Westport/Norwalk was reported going over 100 miles per hour, Morgan said.