ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)— Earlier this month, a tragedy in Western New York took the life of a Thruway Authority maintenance worker.

Senator Jeremy Cooney is the new chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. He said a meeting on Tuesday will be focused on keeping New Yorkers safe on the road. 

“We want people to slow down,” explained Cooney. “We want people to look before they get behind a vehicle. That could be a stiffer penalty, that could also be about technology— types of cameras and other things that watch what’s happening on our roads.”

It’s not just law enforcement that can catch people speeding. The state is now using technology to help enforce speed limits. 

“To raise the consciousness of travelers, we have put these vehicles into work zones that have cameras and radar capabilities to know the speed of the people going through the work zone and if they are indeed above the limit, they can receive a violation,” explained Scott Cook, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Transportation.

According to Cook, the technology has been in place statewide since last construction season. 

“The first violation is $50,” said Cook. “Second is $75, third and subsequent are $100. So the goal is if the safety of our people inside those zones and the safety of other drivers isn’t enough incentive for you to slow down when you’re diving through a work zone, maybe your bank account or your wallet is.”

To further help keep people safe, a new state law went into effect back in March requiring all drivers to move over for any vehicle pulled off to the side of the road— not just emergency vehicles.