E-Z Pass watches, records speeders, issues warning before suspending accounts

Drivers should watch their speed in E-Z Pass toll lanes. Several states including New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania monitor speeds and will suspend E-Z Passes after multiple speeding violations.

Five of the 15 E-Z Pass states have rules for enforcing speed limits in fast pass toll lanes.

“You can lose your E-Z Pass privileges if you speed through E-Z Pass lanes,” Dan Weiller, director of communications for the New York State Thruway Authority told USA Today on Saturday. “You get a couple of warnings. We don’t have the power to give a ticket, but we do have to power to revoke your E-Z Pass, which we will.”

In Maryland, drivers’ speeds are monitored in 30 mph limit toll lanes.

“If we clock you at 12 mph or more than that, we will send you a warning, saying slow down,” said Becky Freeberger, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Transportation Authority. “It’s not a ticket.”

Ms. Freeberger said that if a drive get’s a second violation within six months, then their E-Z Pass can be suspended for up to 60 days.

In Pennsylvania, toll collectors will make note of license plates of anyone blasting through the toll lanes, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman Carl DeFebo told USA Today.

“We do have the ability to send a warning letter to the customer, and that has proven effective,” he said. “If the customer doesn’t heed the warning we have the ability to suspend their E-Z Pass privileges but we haven’t done that recently.”

Mr. DeFebo admitted that collectors are hesitant to suspend E-Z Passes because they can only access the account information of in-state customers.

“It would be like letting others get off the hook but going after our own customers,” he said.

In New Jersey, E-Z Pass equipment at toll plazas on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway record the speed of vehicles coming through, “But we don’t issue tickets or suspend privileges,” said Thomas Feeney, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, according to USA Today.

Other E-Z Pass states leave the speeding enforcement up to police.