Illinois Drivers Beware

[Bob K]

I just got this from a buddy, take heed.


B B

Illinois will begin using photo radar in freeway work zones starting in July.

Beginning in July the State of Illinois will use speed cameras in areas designated as "Work Zones" on major freeways.


 
Anyone caught by these devices will be mailed a ticket as follows;

                                     

$375.00 ticket for the FIRST offense, but the SECOND offense will cost   $1000.00 and comes with a 90-Day suspension.


 
Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license , which allows insurance companies to raise their rates.


 
This represents the harshest penalty structure yet for a city or state using PHOTO enforcements. The State will begin with TWO camera vans issuing tickets in work zones with speed limits lowered to 45 MPH.


 
                                       

Photographs of both the Driver's face and License plate are taken.


 
Pass this on to everyone you know.


For more info:

http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html


 
SLOW DOWN! - Big Brother is watching!
B

[Dave]

time for the flip up plate and the george bush holloween mask
Dave    

[58 Yeoman]

Who was that masked man???......

[t-vicky]

Now if they would just add the words WHEN WORKERS ARE PRESENT to the law.

[jaybee]

Now if they would just add the words WHEN WORKERS ARE PRESENT to the law.

No kidding.  I have a friend who had to trek back out to north central IL to appear in court on one of those $375 tickets.  He missed on two counts 1) workers don't have to be present to consider it a construction zone 2) each construction zone DOES NOT NEED TO HAVE ITS OWN SPEED LIMIT SIGN.  He was miles past the 45mph speed limit sign but you're expected to remember it and slow down every time you come another set of orange cones.

[zzford]

The trick is to go SO fast, the camera will only picture your vapor trail.
P.S. Big Brother IS watching you !

[Harry]

Up here, there are signs, "Traffic Fines Double In Work Zones"
And there doesn't have to be anyone working.

[ONE37TUDOR]

There is a small town here in Texas near me that has used these type cameras for several years. I got caught twice going through there. Some time later my brother (a cop) and I were having a conversation and he told me that they hated the tented plate covers like Pep Boys sells because if they photograph them reflections cause the plate to be unreadable many times.
I went right out and bought several sets and have not been caught again? Either just lucky or it really works?
Scott...

[38HAULR]

We have these things all over the place. The Gummint calls them "road safety cameras". They rake in a fortune.   Our vehicles are covered by ADR,s  [Australian design rules] the applicable tolerance for speedos is  + -10% . But the enforcement people ignore this,they do claim to give some tolerance  3kph as a matter of fact. In other words you get the notice with "detected speed" they remove 3Kph and if your "alleged speed" is over the limit ,you pay. We had a case where a fixed gantry camera picked up a young female at some massive speed of 168KPH  in a 100kph zone . She was driving a little old 1970,s Datsun 120y ,she fought them to no avail,and had to get expert testing done on the vehicle for a court appearance to prove the vehicle was incapable of being driven at that speed. Result not guilty,and the Gummint forced to shut down the system on that freeway for months, as it was found that the maintenance was not carried out in accordance with contract, all those who had paid up fines were refunded. We have these cameras at intersections that double as a red light and speed,you cop a double whammy,I have no probs with these ,speeding red light runners can be killers.......Frank.

[RAJ484]

Looks like Colorado will start doing the photo radar in construction sites too:

SPEEDING FINE STRUCTURE AFTER JULY 1, 2008: (not adding in surcharge)

MPH OVER
FINE
1-4
$30
5-9
$70
10-19
$135
20-24
$200

"CHARLES MATHER HIGHWAY SAFETY ACT" double fines in construction zones: (not adding in surcharge)

MPH OVER
FINE
1-4
$60
5-9
$140
10-19
$270
20-24
$540
The Charles Mather Highway Safety Act allows the state to use photo radar in construction zones.  Mather was hit and killed by a semi-truck in August 2006, while doing construction work on I-25 south of Colorado City.  Signs warning of photo radar use will be required to be posted four hours before construction begins.  It can only be used during active construction work.  Half of the money collected from construction zone fines will go into a work zone safety fund.

The fines for moving violations like careless driving, driving in the passing lane and not using your blinker also increase.  Instead of a minimum $10 fine, starting July 1 it will be $150.

[Crafty]

just to cheer you guys up...

We have had speed cameras in various forms for years, the newest ones sit on the freeway signs and calculate your average speed - so speed past one camera and then slow to the legal limit to go past all the rest and they still got you!

In built up areas we have cameras known as "GATSO" that are completely automated, it calculates your speed and catches a nice photo of your license plate, you know it got you because you see the flash bulb go off.
A tv program tried to outrun the camera so it didn't get a picture, they managed it with a sports bike doing somewhere near 180mph

The newer cameras are called TRUVELO and work on a similar basis as the GATSO but don't flash, so the first thing you know you've been caught is a picture and bill in the mail.

On top of this the roads are patrolled by undercover cop cars rigged with video recording gear etc.
We also have police vans that park in random places and also photograph you speeding - just recently North Wales police were found to be using a totally nondescript 4x4 and horse box trailer parked on a (fairly) remote rural road to catch speeders. This sort of thing just adds fuel to the argument that the authorities just use speed cameras as an income source, rather than a way of improving safety (the revenue collected goes mostly to the local police force where you got caught, in other words they ue it to help with their funding). To make it appear more above board they have organisations with names like "The safety camera partnership", just smoke and mirrors.

Minimum fine is £60 ($120) and 3 points on your license (that raise your insurance premium) the points stay on your license for 4 years, if at any point you get over 12 points you are disqualified from driving, after which you'll have to re-take your test before you get your license back. Over a certain speed will mean instead of the £60 fine you have to go to local court who can fine you much more, ban and fine, impose points or a combination thereof.

[38HAULR]

Crafty we also have "point to point" cameras here in OZ . On a major highway they snap you constantly at given gantry or overpasses and ping you for the average speed over the whole journey between given points,this  I would guess is a fairer way of doing things,as unless you have cruise control ,your speed will fluctuate above and below a posted speed you are attempting to maintain ,as you should be driving watching the road ahead etc,and checking speed periodically INMHO.  The system snapshot that gets you and fines you on the higher cycle when you are marginally over, sux. In the good ol days when you were exclusively booked by a following Police Car ,they booked you after establishing your excessive speed over a given distance,this ended in the 70,s when the early speed detectors, where two strips of thin vac hose rubber tubing a given distance apart, were tacked to the road and tripped an "amphometer" that worked an analogue meter like a multimeter that would physically lock the needle ,the Police hiding off the road, would then come after you,book you,and if you disagreed you could go back and look at the reading,they would reset for the next customer. This system was set up for excessive speeders,I actually got grabbed on one of these  ,spotted the strips and ripped the second hose out of it,s fixing as my rears locked up too late,they had me.,and an appointment before a magistrate ......Frank.

[Bugpac]

When workers are present is how michigan does it...

[Dave]

When workers are present is how michigan does it...

I think indiana does it that way too.. Ill check next weekend.. hey leonard what are you doing up there anyway??? you building anything?
dave

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Arizona keeps adding or changing laws when folks try different ideas to avoid speed cameras.

Covering the license plate with an item to block the view or a reflective material is illegal.

They have changed the law where IF you are not in the car ( some person borrowed the car with your permission) as the vehicle registered owner you are now "compelled" to provide the ID of the person or you suffer the penalty.

When I ride my Goldwing in these areas with permanent mounted cameras I ride between the sensors in the roadway or off to the edge where there are no sensors.

There was a rapper -singer (?) just caught on the cameras in Snottsdale doing 112 - 115 mph in what looked like a Chevy II.  I believe it was the same guy that was caught with dead , starving , abused dogs at his property about 2 years ago.