If you are traveling by car in Illinois in the near future, they are REALLY cracking down on speeding, especially in work zones! BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING LEAD FOOTS !..... Illinois will begin using photo radar in freeway work zones in July. One mile per hour over the speed limit and the machine will get you a nice $375.00 ticket in the mail. Beginning July 1st, the State of Illinois will begin using the speed cameras in areas designated as "Work Zones" on major freeways. Anyone caught by these devices will be mailed a $375.00 ticket for the FIRST offense. The SECOND offense will cost $1000.00 and comes with a 90-Day suspension. Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license, which allow insurance companies to raise Insurance rates.
This is the harshest penalty structure ever set for a governmental unit involving PHOTO speed enforcement. The State already has two camera vans on line issuing tickets 24/7 in work zones with speed limits lowered to 45 MPH. Photos of both the Driver's face and License plate are taken. Pass this on to everyone you know who might be affected!!!
[ June 25, 2010, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: Jane Diaz ]
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Well Jane, there goes the old saying, "faster than an Illinois license plate".
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
Jane, its good that your state works for you, wouldn't want to see your police with nothing to do would ya?
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
Hahahahaha ... major revenue enhancement!
Posted by Marge Cameron (Member # 11336) on :
Good lord, what next?!? Thanks for the warning! I'm cruising through (or I guess creeping through) twice in August. This will likely come in handy, as I'm a bit of a speed freak on the open road.
Posted by Brent Logan (Member # 6587) on :
I couldn't believe how slow people drove in Chicagoland when I was there last summer. When I lived in Illinois in the late 60's it seemed like the average speed on the expressways was 85.
Thanks for the warning Jane.
Posted by Dana Blair (Member # 951) on :
The one mile per hour over will create a lot of people fighting the tickets. Many will have their speedometers checked to make sure they are accurate, and if not, take the results to court that they were at the speed limit on their speedometer. Seen this one happen before.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Word has it that due to the shortage of qualified police officers to handle the expected increase in the number of tickets given out, the government is looking elsewhere to fill the ranks......
All I can say is don't give them a hard time if they stop you. They don't need a taser.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
Seems that photo speed enforcement is being overruled in many places. It wont be long before some Fed judge bans them altogether. One recent case is in new orleans.
One reason is that there is no one at the court house present at your hearing to make the accusation. You have a right to face your accuser.
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
I drove down to Pontiac, IL yesterday and they had about 3 miles of road with pylons set up blocking off one lane. In that one blocked off lane was two guys and one truck with a grinder and two Troopers. One officer was sitting ready to pounce as soon as you entered the work zone. The other had a semi pulled over already.
Now I'm all for worker safety and all that but most of the construction zones I went through yesterday down there had no one working in them, that I could see. Seems like an excellent way to generate additional revenue! As if the goofy tolls every few miles wasn't enough?
And why don't they just mark down in plain site and in advance of the toll booth HOW MUCH IT COSTS! No, let's write it on the front side with a magic marker so you have to stop for a while and then figure out how much you need to pay! Morons!
I guess I'll have to ferry across Lake Michigan, then cut down through Michigan and Indiana to get to Danville this summer!
[ June 25, 2010, 06:21 PM: Message edited by: Dale Manor ]
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
Utah used to have "photo cop", but now they don't. I'm glad about that. It has everything to do with revenue generation, and nothing to do with public safety.
Posted by Preston McCall (Member # 351) on :
They just announced today that all through Missouri, they are doing a major crack down on speeders and drivers who wander, this next week. All of the states realize that speeding tickets are about as easy a way to increase revenues and whether they get you with a camera or with a trooper, the gig is obviously a revenure enhancement for the states. So far, outside of the safety lanes, I still see everyone driving about five miles over with troopers even passing me, so that seems to be the cut off.
Truckers who pass on the inside lane and slow down are the ones who really make me mad. It is like they pass each other and must have to look at each other and slow down. You are going 75 and some trucker pulls over in your lane, passing another one and he slows down to 65. It makes me want to have an electric message board on my back window to tell him he is a bad example of safe driving. Not a bad invention. HUH? Especially if there were a handful of pre-designed messaged in it to broadcast on your back window! Surely someone already makes these?
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
In Arizona you gotta be served in person so until a cop shows up at your door with a ticket or court summons, you're within your rights to blow off a photo radar ticket.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
I informed my sister in law who just drove through the toll road in Illinois about this and she said people were just flying, 60 to 75 mph in work zones there. She's waiting for her ticket.
Posted by Lori Wilcox (Member # 8042) on :
A police officer had a perfect spot to watch for speeders, but wasn't getting many. Then he discovered the problem.- a 12-year-old boy was standing up the road with a hand painted sign, which read 'RADAR TRAP AHEAD'. The officer then found a young accomplice down the road with a sign reading 'TIPS' and a bucket full of money.
(And we used to just sell lemonade!)
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
LOL!
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
Hahaha Lori... great story!
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Aw, c'mon. With those kinda fines, everyone will have a chance to beat my record for "Biggest Speeding Fine while Driving to a Meet" before they hit 70 MPH.
Rapid
BTW: Instead of fining ways to fine people, maybe the states could do a better job at revenue enhancement by getting all those guys standing around at job sites watching ONE GUY DIGGING something better to do...or a pink slip.
Posted by Robare M. Novou (Member # 3711) on :
Traveling through Chicago last summer, I got a photo/ticket of me driving through a yellow/red light.
Seems the yellow to red transition happens within two seconds. So if you see the light turn yellow, please stop, or else you will receive a $100.00 reminder in the mail, for going through the intersection on a red light.
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