PRESS RELEASE
JUPITER, Fla. — Jenoptik, a leading manufacturer of road safety and civil security solutions, supports the Arkansas Department of Transportation (DOT) in their existing work zone safety campaign, “Slow Down, Phone Down”, with the delivery of its mobile speed enforcement system.
In 2022, the Arkansas DOT implemented a work zone safety initiative called the “Slow Down, Phone Down Campaign” in response to an alarming rise of work zone crashes since 2018. Speeding and driver inattention were among the leading causes of these work zone crashes. Beginning in 2022, Arkansas State Police and Arkansas Highway Police started placing patrols stationed in work zones across the state to crack down on reckless and distracted driving.
Jenoptik partnered with Arkansas DOT as an extension to their initiative by delivering the initial speed enforcement system in August 2023 to be stationed in work zones. The system is equipped with Jenoptik’s reliable VECTOR SR camera that combines Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) together with a radar sensor panel to record speeding drivers and send violations to Law Enforcement in real time. The speed enforcement system acts as a force multiplier by allowing Police Officers to remain within a safe distance outside the work zone. Jenoptik’s mobile system can be placed in various work zones, and the ease of mobility allows coverage throughout the state.
“Preliminary results have shown a significant reduction in work zone crashes on our project since the speed enforcement camera has been utilized,” said Steve Frisbee, P.E., Assistant Chief Engineer – Maintenance, Arkansas Department of Transportation.
Finbarr O’Carroll, President of Jenoptik Smart Mobility Solutions Americas, continued, “Due to our reliable solutions and comprehensive services, we are happy to continue to grow our footprint in the Americas with innovative equipment. We look forward to delivering more of our enforcement systems to Arkansas to continue helping reduce the number of accidents and fatalities in work zones, as well as work zone enforcement opportunities in other states.”
Since the Arkansas DOT implemented their safety initiative in 2022, crashes have dropped almost 30% according to DOT. The addition of Jenoptik’s speed enforcement system is an expansion of this already effective program and contributes as a valuable piece to the overall solution. With the guidance of the Arkansas DOT, Jenoptik plans to implement additional systems throughout the State of Arkansas and looks forward to opportunities for expanding work zone speed enforcement into other states to keep drivers and workers safer across the country.