New York is ramping up its efforts to deter speeding and distracted driving in work zones this spring and summer, including a previously successful tactic of tasking undercover police officers in construction uniforms to snag and ticket reckless motorists.
According to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, after three straight years of decline, work zone crashes on the New York State Thruway surged in 2025, with 228 crashes leading to 28 injuries. This happened despite numerous programs to lessen the incidents, like the state’s Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program, established on the Thruway in 2021.
On New York State Department of Transportation-owned roads, there were 366 work zone crashes, resulting in 58 injuries and two fatalities in 2025.
These incidents were primarily caused by speeding, distracted driving, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, and failure to obey warning signs and flagger instructions, Hochul’s office said.
“Every roadside worker deserves to return home safely at the end of their shift,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Monday, April 20. “The number of intrusions into work zones is alarming and shows that too many drivers are still ignoring the law and putting lives at risk.”
Hochul’s announcement of new initiatives regarding work zone safety kicked off National Work Zone Awareness Week, a weeklong campaign that urges drivers to slow down and follow New York State’s Move Over Law to protect highway and roadside workers.
What is NY’s 2026 approach to fix reckless work zone driving?
Operation Hardhat
New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies will bring back “Operation Hardhat” across active Thruway and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) work zones statewide.
During these operations, State Troopers and participating local police officers will identify and cite motorists for violations, often dressing as highway workers.
Drivers will be cited for violations, including:
In the 2025 construction season, New York State Police conducted 55 Operation Hard Hat operations statewide and issued a total of 3,217 tickets, Hochul’s office reported.
Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement
New York State continue and expand its Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement (AWZSE) program, a collaboration established by NYSDOT and the Thruway Authority in 2021 that deployed cameras in work zones to reduce driver speeds.
Under the program, fines are issued in three stages:
Hochul’s current budget proposal, under debate in the legislature, includes enhanced protections for highway workers, new penalties for menacing highway workers and intrusions into active work zones, and proposes to expand the automated enforcement program to additional roadways.
‘Help Us Get Home’
The Thruway Authority recently launched a work zone safety public service announcement, “Help Us Get Home”, featuring Thruway maintenance staff from across New York speaking directly to drivers about the risks of repairing and maintaining New York’s expressways and roads as cars whiz by.
Additionally, NYSDOT is launching a public education campaign to encourage drivers to slow down. It’ll include advertisements on social media, streaming audio and video, billboards, buses and at gas stations.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: How Hochul plans to crack down on reckless work zone drivers in 2026
Reporting by Genae Shields, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
