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A Timely Heads-Up

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Steve

Steve

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For those of you who travel or who are planning to travel in Illinois..... This was sent to me by a friend today:

Illinois is on a rampage.

Subject: Sent from a friend who is in IDOT management

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!!!

For more info: https://www.dot.state.il.us/press/
 
Thought this sounded familiar Steve, and I was right. Snopes has an article on it, here's an excerpt:

<span style="font-style: italic">While the e-mail trumpets its news as something that will take place in July (thereby leading many readers to assume it means July 2009), in truth these laws and their associated penalties have been in effect in Illinois since 2005. Indeed, the e-mailed alert itself dates to May 2005, which is when it first began bouncing from inbox to inbox. Why it was suddenly resurrected in June 2009 and flung about anew is anyone's guess.</span>


That doesn't diminish the latest email though. I'm sure they're still hard nosed about it :smile:
 
Especially if you LIVE here!!
 
It's obviously different here in The Garden State.

Yesterday, in heavy traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, I was in the middle lane (of three lanes) and I passed a New Jersey State Trooper who was jammed into trafffic with the rest of us. He was in the "slow" lane.

I was doing 4300 RPM in fifth gear* at the time (and folks in the fast lane were ripping past me).

Speed limit on the Turnpike is 65 MPH.
grin.gif


Eventually, the traffic cleared away a bit and we all sped up. :angel:

*NB Miata = 18.6 MPH per 1000 RPM
 
1mph violations are extremely difficult to enforce due to speedometer error. If they post the radar units that tell you your speed as you enter the workzones though it could open the ease of 1mph violations. I wouldn't doubt it tif they post a 45mph speed limit sign then set the cameras for 50mph. Regardless, with fines that steep I would err on the side of caution and stay under an indicated 40mph. Glad I have no reason to go through Illinois during construction season. :wink:
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]1mph violations are extremely difficult to enforce due to speedometer error. If they post the radar units that tell you your speed as you enter the workzones though it could open the ease of 1mph violations. I wouldn't doubt it tif they post a 45mph speed limit sign then set the cameras for 50mph.[/QUOTE]
I'm told that in PA radar-based tickets are limited to 6 mph over and above for this reason. I don't know if it's true, but I've never known anyone to be tagged or even pulled over with radar in PA (<span style="font-style: italic">which in PA <span style="text-decoration: underline">is</span> restricted to state police use</span>) for less. I did have a friend tagged for 26.2 mph in a 25 zone once in PA, but that was a local yokel using a stopwatch.

Which brings up a point, "difficult to enforce" is often a local matter. :wall: My uncle was clocked by a local yokel using radar at 26 mph in a 25 zone and tagged <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">100 yards from his house</span></span> in Carrol. Iowa. (<span style="font-style: italic">What he didn't tell the cop was that he was just coming home from a 900 mile trip to Pittsburgh where he'd averaged 93 mph including stops. He'd just turned on to his street in his Corvette and turned the radar detector off 1/2 mile before he was tagged.</span>)

(I don't drive like he does! :driving: :nonono: )

Both 1 mph over tickets were challenged, and both stuck. I don't know anyone who got a 1 mph ticket that didn't stick. :nonod:
 
Ummm, isn't that where our President came from?

The (old) rule was that speedometers are calibrated at plus or minus 5%, so a tough lawyer may be able to beat these.
 
I got a ticket for doing 26 MPH in a 25 MPH zone in Huntingdon, PA.
My speedo said 24 MPH but the cop riding my bumper lit up his
lights, pulled me over, wrote the ticket for 26 MPH and then
took me somewhere to pay it on the spot.

Monthly quotas I quess.

Dale (Tinster)
 
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