Watch your speed in IL - OT

[Merle Coggins]

I just got the following message from a lawyer friend of mine. It looks like Illinois is getting serious about speeding through "work zones".

A reminder... Starts in July!

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! In the current economy, the state will be looking for your $$'s.

http://www.dot.state.il.us/safetyEng/FactSheet_032608.pdf

http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r062409.html

Edited July 1, 2009 by Merle Coggins

[Young Ed]

We had cameras setup for red lights. About a year later the state declared them unconstitutional and they had to refund everyones money! 1mph over is pretty strict. What if your speedo reads 1mph low. Screwed.

Update: per snopes this isn't new. They have been doing this since 2006. Also it says the 1mph over part may be an exaggeration.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Young Ed

[adam_knox]

On a sorta related note, your northern neighbors (WI) gave police new authority to pull over vehicles and cite tickets on the sole reason that seat belts are not buckled. Started today. Seems like they never run out of reasons to pull me over though, so just another one to the list!

Not sure if it only applies to the driver, but my memory is telling me unbuckled passengers count as well for justification. Save a life, save a buck, wear your seat belt! --Or just drive an exempt vehicle and hope those old vehicle crash pics look worse than they feel!

[Merle Coggins]

It's not an urban legend according to the web site links to IL DOT. It sounds like they may be adding more vans.

Adam,

I've been meaning to ask a Germantown cop that I know what he'd do if he saw me in my truck without a seatbelt. Even though I have installed seatbelts, it didn't originally have them. So unless he/they knew that I had them installed, how could they pull be over for not using it? I tend to use it if I'm heading out on the highway, but when I'm putting 'round town I usually leave it off. However, in my daily truck I wear it all the time. I guess I just got into that habit, and don't like listing to the seat belt alarm.

Merle

[BobT-47P15]

Not quite the same topic.......but did anyone see about the accident a few days

ago on the Will Rogers Turnpike in Oklahoma. Not far from Joplin, actually.

Traffic was stopped for a minor accident down the road. A semi truck failed to

see the line stopped, ran into the cars while doing 70 to 75 mph. Ultimately, so

far 10 people have died, most of them at the scene. A couple cars were trapped

under the truck for 6 to 8 hours. The truck driver was age 76, which may or may

not have had any bearing on the event. Don't know how the land lays at the spot,

so don't know if he topped a rise and there they were--or what.

They have installed a few of the light-up message boards along these highways

in the past two or three years. Maybe they need to add some more and figure

out how to post about a traffic tie up quickly. Maybe they could be

activated from a patrol car.......or by the dispatcher for the patrol.

I think they have some photo camera radar in Kansas City now. Don't

know how much good it's doing.

[BobT-47P15]

Watching the traffic would be better than many of todays tv shows.

[P-12 Tommy]

Geez, It'd be kinda hard to get a speeding ticket on the freeway in one of our old Plymouths or Dodges unless it has overdrive.

[adam_knox]

Oh my Norm! Well at least you can tell your wife she had "buns of steel!" So did you fix the car up?

Merle, as for the lap belts, I would guess hide 'em is the best bet. Otherwise if the cop is conversationalist when he pulls you over, just say the car is exempt because of age and the after market belts are to give the Mrs. some piece of mind and in fact and accident would cause the floor boards to rip up and your guts to spill out... Wow...after writing that it sounds rather gruesome! On second thought, if you see a cop's lights, floor it and make sharp turns until you find a deserted warehouse to hide out in!

Bob, when I was little my mom and I were in like a 15 car bumper to bumper accident. She was the brake in the line, as she left enough space as to not hit car in front of us. Unfortunately, the car behind us didn't leave space. Ever since then, I always try to keep an eye on the distance of the cars behind me...Man, if I ever saw a truck barreling 70 mph at me..phew, i would probably need a new pair of shorts!

[Brendan D25]

Double fines for speeding in const. areas was only started in our province this year and I agree with it. In other provinces there is a law that you have to slow to 60kph when passing emergency vehicles, etc. but we don't have it yet, hopefully soon.

Bob, the semi driver might have been under highway hypnosis, it happens more than people realize.

[GonZo_626]

We in Alberta have has this double fines in work zones for over a year now. Dosn't seem to have stopped people from speeding through them. We also have the 60 km/h by emergency vehicles that one works, and people slow down.

[Plymouthy Adams]

saw a little trick the other day driving to Lou Earle's house..cop had a large truick and horse trailer on the side..well about half off the road..blue lights..but the killer was about 200 feet up and on the left off a side road was another cop watching to nab anyone not slowing or yielding to the other lane even though you are on a double yellow...catch 22 maybe?

[Merle Coggins]

Here in Wisconsin they have it written that if you can't move over on a multi-lane highway, or if on a 2 lane road, you must "slow down to a safe speed for traffic conditions" until past the emergency vehicle.

[50 Deluxe]

We had so many stupid people driving into construction workers and killing them that something had to be done. I am not defending the Over Reaction. We got a taste of what is going to be used throughout the state. First they put a couple large signs announcing the speed trap and van ahead in the construction zone, and then they put one of those large radar speed signs that show your spend so you can check your speed. The Photo van had cops sitting in it looking at all the camera tickets and the cop would decide who got a ticket, I don’t think one mile per hour over would get you a ticket, but who knows.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I can see the fair and impartial judgement of the officer stuck in the back of a hot van monitoring drivers speeding by in AC'd cars, officer #1, "don't care if that is my grandma, she's getting a ticket..1"

I would think in the beginning of the shift the officers may try to judge and call but later in the day..."send them all to jail"...will this day never end..look at them out there..idiots...is it 5PM yet..?

Edited July 3, 2009 by Tim Adams