New Illinois Work Zones Fines Go Into effect 7/1/09

 

I got this information in an e-mail and have not been able to verify it as of now. Here's a link to IL State Law in regards to work zones and I don't see this so I don't really know.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2619&Ch....

New Illinois Work Zones Fines Go Into effect 7/1/09

Just thought you would want to let you and your people know about this. Got it from my buddy who is a State Trooper.

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.

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If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

Not unusual

In Iowa, fines automatically double in construction zones... retired state trooper friend has stories of $1200+ traffic citations he wrote.

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

I agree with the cameras, and the double fines, but 1mph over?

These days most
RADAR units are extremely accurate.
There are some conditions that must be met however, and the conditions are as follows:

1) The road must be flat and straight

2) There has to be good visibility

3) There needs to be a minimum of traffic

4) The officer has to be properly trained to interpret false signals generated by the equipment

It's very rare to find these four conditions existing at the same time. There are a lot of errors that can occur in routine traffic radar operations.

LIDAR units are extremely accurate, however your own car can cause targeting quirks.

1) No front License Plate

2) Composite front clips

3) Extra small headlights

It just seems that a lot of these tickets will be over turned with a tolerance of +1 MPH. If that number is even correct in the first place.

I am all for cameras in work zones and double fines, But 1Mph doesn't even cover the (+-) error of the speedometer.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2619&Ch...

the above link doesn't speak of 1Mph over the speed limit.

--
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

Nothing new

This is nothing new. Note the effective dates, all but one were passes in 04 and the other was 07. From the Wisconsin Illinos border for over two years there has been widening of I-90/I-39 and reconstruction of toll booths along with new I-39 interchange at Cherry Valley. The construction zones have been posted speed of 45 with fines of $375 and speed cameras. Normal speed is anywhere from 45 to 65 or even greater.

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Looking for a place to go this summer? Try Oshkosh, WI, July 20-26, 2015. The largest gathering of aircraft in the world. http://www.airventure.org/index.html

Will these cameras be in the POI file?

smile or are they too temporary?

Starting in July, State Troopers will deploy ...

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Zumo 550 & Zumo 665 My alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

Still Old News

dave817 wrote:

Here's verification: http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html

Here's what the vans look like:
http://www.modot.org/tsc/documents/WorkZone.pdf

Like I said, old news "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2005"

--
Looking for a place to go this summer? Try Oshkosh, WI, July 20-26, 2015. The largest gathering of aircraft in the world. http://www.airventure.org/index.html

Could be hot air, could be for real

Illinois puts out a press release every year about deploying photo enforcement vans in highway work areas but rarely seems to actually follow through. Sometimes they'll do it for a few days in one zone, calling out the local TV stations to tape footage for local news, and then they pull the vans, and you don't see them again. They are surely unpopular and I'm sure legislators get complaints about them.

I always try to watch for them. The truth is that if traffic allows, hardly anybody stays under 45 mph here even in active highway work zones. I definitely try to stay under 45 mph IF the work zone is active, because I do believe it's dangerous to highway workers to not do that, but I'm often obstructing traffic in doing so. When the work zone is inactive, though regular speeds are often still unsafe because of the traffic barriers and reduced visibility, 45 mph can be overkill if traffic is light and lanes are not obstructed.

This year could be different; the state budget is deeply out of balance. If they want to close it, this is one way to start.

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JMoo On

another ripoff...

BobDee wrote:

These days most
RADAR units are extremely accurate.
There are some conditions that must be met however, and the conditions are as follows:

1) The road must be flat and straight

2) There has to be good visibility

3) There needs to be a minimum of traffic

4) The officer has to be properly trained to interpret false signals generated by the equipment

It's very rare to find these four conditions existing at the same time. There are a lot of errors that can occur in routine traffic radar operations.

LIDAR units are extremely accurate, however your own car can cause targeting quirks.

1) No front License Plate

2) Composite front clips

3) Extra small headlights

It just seems that a lot of these tickets will be over turned with a tolerance of +1 MPH. If that number is even correct in the first place.

I am all for cameras in work zones and double fines, But 1Mph doesn't even cover the (+-) error of the speedometer.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2619&Ch...

the above link doesn't speak of 1Mph over the speed limit.

It is clearly for generatig more revenue. Hiding the real reason behind old good and easy to sell excuse: " we do it in sake of safety "

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vk

thanks

for the heads up. I will be in chicago in July, and there is always freeway construction going on. But as other posters have commented on. Driving 45mph on a freeway with construction usually not active, or if it is, it is separated from traffic by a concrete barrier, is somewhat problematic given the aggressive driving and average traffic speed.

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___________________ Garmin 2455, 855, Oregon 550t

It's getting absurd

Go over the limit by 1 mph and get fined $375 plus points with increased insurance costs. I'm all for being cautious in work zones, but I've seen far too many workless work zones with highly reduced speed limits, which makes me realize that a good portion of the people getting these tickets will have done nothing to endanger anyone's safety.

Last Mrk wrote: I got this

Last Mrk wrote:

I got this information in an e-mail and have not been able to verify it as of now.

[edit]

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.
[edit]

Has anyone verified the one mile per hour over the speed limit ticket? I still don't think this is even possible with todays margin of error in speedometer technology.

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Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

speedometer tolerance

Quote:

Has anyone verified the one mile per hour over the speed limit ticket? I still don't think this is even possible with todays margin of error in speedometer technology.

I will not be surprised with 1mph over limit rule. Living for many years in Illinois make you use to this sort of stupidity. Especially when there is a huge budget deficit. After all, I was ticketed for making a right turn on red light, even when there was sign clearly permitting it.

And there are no speedometers in cars that will be that accurate. Their tolerance given by manufacturer is about 10% and it is counted on actual speed it is showing. And even if tolerance for them will be 0% (and this is expensive) you will need to recalibrate them almost every time you leave your parking space. because they depend on factors as tires rotation speed then every change to tires will affect reading. Even that stupid thinks like wearing off of tires, inflation pressure, size of tires different from manufacturer standard etc. In short keeping speedometer on this accuracy will be very expensive and cumbersome task.
And they can't be replaced by gps reading as there is always chance to lost gps signal, and anyway, accuracy of gps readings vary as well.

The Problem

If traffic is going 65 MPH and then you have 45 MPH who slows down for phantom construction? If actual construction is actually happening and people are present then I agree with the tickets. Slow down and let others live as well as yourself.

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John_nuvi_

DOT took the link off their site!?!?

It worked last week but now the link is GONE!! Does anyone have an archived copy of the verbiage on the DOT web site? It had a lot about the state's responsibility to have consistent and visible signage when they were enforcing...now I can't find that anywhere.

wow i live im Missouri and i

wow i live im Missouri and i go to ill side alot this is really dum and stupid u should always be allowed at least 5 to 10 mph for many varying factors including radar inaccuracy and speedometer inaccuracy

Traffic Speed Is Rarely Posted Speed

I live in northern Illinois and drive between Indiana, Chicago and Milwaukee regularly. I feel unsafe driving 45mph when someone (almost everyone) passes me at 65mph+. It still comes down to the fact that you have to use good sense and try to maintain a speed that is safe in the flow of traffic without getting too fast for conditions. Sometimes I'll get off of the highway and get back on 2 or 3 entrances up. I'm hoping the over fast drivers are further along than me.

In Washington

edwardw66 wrote:

I live in northern Illinois and drive between Indiana, Chicago and Milwaukee regularly. I feel unsafe driving 45mph when someone (almost everyone) passes me at 65mph+. It still comes down to the fact that you have to use good sense and try to maintain a speed that is safe in the flow of traffic without getting too fast for conditions. Sometimes I'll get off of the highway and get back on 2 or 3 entrances up. I'm hoping the over fast drivers are further along than me.

In Washington (the state), they will not annouce the speed that triggers the camera but I saw lots of people doing 5 mph over the limit in the construction area. No way to tell if they were all getting tickets (at least I didn't see a flash).

The fines double "if there are workers present".

IL Construction law

justaguy wrote:

... a good portion of the people getting these tickets will have done nothing to endanger anyone's safety.

Let me preface this to say that IL politicians love ot get their grubby little hands on taxpayer's money without saying it's a "tax." I lived in IL for 15 years and remember when this came our shortly after Blago became governor. I believe the original law was put into effect because of construction workers dying on the job site.

I even received a ticket in a work zone and argued with the judge that it was nighttime and no workers were present. I ended up getting out of that ticket and the judge and DA both commented how they will be glad when the law is changed so that you can't get out of it just because it is nighttime.

I have a friend who works construction for IDOT and used to tell me the work zones where the mobile photo van would be. Both being civil engineers, we had many discussions about work zone safety and the need for the law. My friend was on the job site where the driver hit and killed the worker that causeed the law to be put in place. After seeing that, he firmly believes in the law being in effect during nighttime whether or not workers are present because this driver careened off of the roadway into an excavated area and would have killed himself. I'm not entirely sure that I agree with his argument, but I can understand his logic. So, it may not necessarily have to do with endangering someone else, but preventing people from endangering themselves.

Too bad we protect people from themselves...my father would have called it thinning the herd.

--
Nuvi 2597 / Nuvi 2595 / Nuvi 680 / Nuvi 650 "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."

Not Speeding Can Be Difficult to Get Use to...

But we should, especially around work zones. Maryland has said they were going to use speed cameras in highway work zones. So let's slow down a bit, and get used to it, huh?

--
Tuckahoe Mike - Nuvi 3490LMT, Nuvi 260W, iPhone X, Mazda MX-5 Nav

Waiting for my ticket . . . .

This week I had to drive on I-90/39 thru Rockford where there is miles of major reconstruction going on. In the past the 45mps construction speed limit didn't appear to slow anyone down. On my east bound leg, the left lane, which is mandatory for big trucks to use, was going about 45mps. I would suspect that it was do to the fact that miles ahead some truck driver decided to follow the law. Of course the right lane was going as fast as they could. I could feel the road rage in the left lane and bet the truckers CB was filled with obscenities about that driver following the construction speed limit. I felt that if I was to slow to 45 I would be forced off of the road and shot. On my return westbound leg, speeds in both lanes were normal 60mph or faster except where construction workers were present. As stated,there had been a big media blitz on these cameras and that Illinois was issuing hundreds of tickets for 1 mile over the limit. $375 for first offense. I'm waiting for mine to appear in the mail.

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Looking for a place to go this summer? Try Oshkosh, WI, July 20-26, 2015. The largest gathering of aircraft in the world. http://www.airventure.org/index.html

seconds

bilson wrote:

This week I had to drive on I-90/39 thru Rockford where there is miles of major reconstruction going on. In the past the 45mps construction speed limit didn't appear to slow anyone down. On my east bound leg, the left lane, which is mandatory for big trucks to use, was going about 45mps. I would suspect that it was do to the fact that miles ahead some truck driver decided to follow the law. Of course the right lane was going as fast as they could. I could feel the road rage in the left lane and bet the truckers CB was filled with obscenities about that driver following the construction speed limit. I felt that if I was to slow to 45 I would be forced off of the road and shot. On my return westbound leg, speeds in both lanes were normal 60mph or faster except where construction workers were present. As stated,there had been a big media blitz on these cameras and that Illinois was issuing hundreds of tickets for 1 mile over the limit. $375 for first offense. I'm waiting for mine to appear in the mail.

Wow the posted limit in IL construction zones is 2,700 mph?????

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Nuvi 3790LMT, Nuvi 760 Lifetime map, Lifetime NavTraffic, Garmin E-Trex Legend Just because "Everyone" drives badly does not mean you have to.

What?

onestep wrote:

Wow the posted limit in IL construction zones is 2,700 mph?????

--
Looking for a place to go this summer? Try Oshkosh, WI, July 20-26, 2015. The largest gathering of aircraft in the world. http://www.airventure.org/index.html

Illinois Again

Seems like there is always a thread about Illinois' corruption. I agree with work zone speed reductions and the use of the vans in the work zones just like in school zones. If workers are present, just like the kids, there is a danger. Depending on how bad they have the roadway messed up with barricades, lane shifts, and putting oncoming traffic in the next lane over with no spacing, then even if the workers are not present there should be a speed reduction. I don't think anyone thinks it would be reasonable to slalom through barricades at 65+. On the other hand, we have all seen unmanned construction zones with the barricades removed to the side of the roadway and the road opened for normal operation but the speed signs were never changed back. The initial fine of $375 seems like the equivalent of the normal "double fine". The one mile over issue could be real if they make the construction zone speed limits an absolute speed. In Arizona, the speed limits in school zones are absolute speeds and you can be ticketed for going 1 mph over and reasonable and prudent speed is not a defense. Now no officer is going to waste his time on that, but the cameras have no common sense. They activate based on what they are set at.

I-90

I used to drive that route (I-90) from Rockford to Elgin. There's some serious road rage going on for those drivers. And yes, the speed limits disn't matter on that stretch.

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Nuvi 2597 / Nuvi 2595 / Nuvi 680 / Nuvi 650 "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."