17-07-2025
Speed enforcing cameras helping save lives in Washington County
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24) — Act 707 was passed in August 2023 by the Arkansas legislature, and now the new law is paying dividends statewide.
The act made Arkansas one of 28 states that use speeding cameras to issue citations and warnings in construction zones across the state. However, it's one of three states that has a stipulation stating that a police officer must be present.
One of those cameras is located across work zones on Interstate 49 in parts of Washington County. The portable camera system is moved, sometimes daily, to different areas depending on the need.
According to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, as of September 2024, there was a decrease of 40% in all automobile accidents across I-49. Additionally, there were 3,628 warnings and 515 citations issued over that span.
Chief of Arkansas Highway Police, Jeff Holmes, said their number one priority is safety, not to write people tickets.
'The statistics speak for themselves. You know, just in the 49, work zone, you know, 40% decrease in crashes, and the unique thing about it has been mostly with warnings,' Holmes said. 'So, it's not a lot of take. It's not about making money. It's about just officers being out there educating and slowing traffic down, just being there. Just getting the word out and slowing everybody down.'
The idea to pass the law came after Arkansas saw a 109% increase in speeding-related fatalities between 2014-2023. The overall traffic fatality number went from 470 to 596, according the ARDOT.
District Four Engineer with ARDOT, Jason Hughey, said that he hopes the state can provide more camera systems in the future, but the best way to cut down on automobile crashes is for people to be aware of the dangers of speeding.
'It would be nice to have it at every construction zone, but practically, that's not feasible. We're going to have a new ad campaign coming up shortly to emphasize to the public, get the word out through TV ads, radio ads, social media ads, just to let people know that please slow down in these construction zones,' Hughey said.
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