Posted on 06/06/2008 7:57:52 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The Illinois State Police are using vans with cameras and radar guns to photograph motorists and other drivers who speed through highway construction zones, and are enforcing strict penalties for alleged offenders.
Citations for a first offense are $375, and a second offense can cost $1,000 and a 90-day suspension of driver’s license.
State Police officials said four white vans, which are equipped with radar guns, cameras and a monitor to show drivers their speed, have been deployed at different construction zones in the state. As of Thursday, June 5, those vans are deployed at the widening project on the South Tri-State Tollway at Interstate 294, in Will County on Interstate 55, on the Edens Expressway on I-94, and on Interstate 74 in Champaign.
Additionally, some officers will be dressed as construction workers, and will run radar and radio ahead to uniformed officers for alleged speeders, said Lt. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois State Police spokesman.
“The whole goal has been to reduce fatalities in work zones,” said Lt. Luis Gutierrez. “Fatalities in construction zones are normally blamed on speed. That’s the primary cause. This is primarily to get motorists to slow down.”
The program has been deployed before, with positive results, Gutierrez said.
In 2003, 44 people were killed in construction zone wrecks, he said.
“We’ve (since) cut it to 21, and it has been because of the aggressive initiative we’ve been doing in construction zones,” Gutierrez told Land Line.
Asked if the program’s covert nature was necessary because drivers behave differently when they see patrol cars, Gutierrez said signs posted at the entrances to construction zones on highways warn drivers of the enforcement.
“It’s not really undercover,” Gutierrez said. “We do post signs, and we’ve been actively campaigning and educating the public.”
I wonder how many of those were the workers.
motorists and other drivers ???????????
“Slow for the Cone Zone”
We just spent some time in IL and Chicago. Their construction zones are badly marked(especially at night) and were the source of many little scares for us. We drive the speed limit..or less.
The marking on the toll ways near Chicago is especially bad at night. No doubt a lot of the accidents are also caused by these problems..spend some money on lights and signs.
I don’t have a problem with them running strong speed enforcement on active construction zones, that’s an issue of worker safety. But too often, I’ve seen those low speed limits and excessive fines continue to stay up when a construction area is completely deserted. That’s nothing more than revenue enhancement.
}:-)4
me too
And are the speed zones only in effect when the lights on the signs are flashing? or at all times?
Notice that they HIDE the radar guns and cameras because they DO NOT want you to slow down, the want you to get a ticket so they can get the money. Once again, this has NOTHING to do with safety and everything to do with taking your money.
Probably trying to drum up some extra funds for roadkill cleanup and the Govnah’s daily jet commute : http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017856/posts
Yep. Last speeding ticket I got was in a construction zone on an interstate in Idaho. It was the 4th of July and the cop was waiting at the bottom of a hill just beyond a curve in the road.
There was no one else on the road for a mile in front of or in back of me.
That's why Texas put "when workers are present" on all of those construction signs.
same as Illinois - workers must be present
Lurking’
294 between O’Hare and the Wisconsin border is darn near one continuous construction zone. The lanes that are closed are blocked off with concrete barriers. Over the total length of the construction zone, maybe 2% has workers.
Last time I was on it, even the cops were cruising at 70 . . .
I just drove that stretch last month, if you dare go in the left lane you better be doing 80 plus, and when have you EVER seen a cop driving below the posted speed limit?
And just like they reduced yellow light times for Red-light cameras, watch as the speed limit magically gets lower and lower in construction zones so they can up the “take” from these speed cameras.
More fleecing of the populace under the guise of safety.
JoMa
If that was really the only purpose, then why put up warning signs?
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