Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for June 30, 2008 BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING

...and writing $375/$1000 tickets!

Construction zone camera trucks on the prowl this summer

BY Kartikay Mehrotra, THE SOUTHERN SPRINGFIELD BUREAU

SPRINGFIELD - Five state police vans equipped with radar guns and cameras are cruising Illinois road construction zones seeking and citing speeders this summer.

While you might be cute, quick-witted or teary-eyed enough to wiggle out of a state trooper's ticket, these vans are automated to issue a $375 ticket to anyone traveling over the speed limit.

"Obviously, our goal has been to reduce fatalities and reduce crashes in general," said Lt. Scott Compton of the Illinois State Police. "We are hopeful that the presence of those photo enforcement vans and squad cars remind drivers to slow down and proceed with caution through construction zones."

This summer marks the third year vans will be monitoring construction zones. Three will be touring various state work areas near Rock Island, Du Quoin, Springfield, Champaign and Collinsville; one will monitor state highway construction zones and one more is reserved for metropolitan Chicago.

Since August 2006, state police have used the mobile machines to issue 7,441 speeding tickets, Compton said.

The number of state work zone fatalities has dipped from 25 in 2005 to 21 in 2007. In 2004, 39 people were killed in work zones. In 2003, 44 people were killed in work zones, five of them workers.

"We're seeing that people are slowing down, but more is always better. We would like people to slow down and this is just another tool for getting them to do so," Compton said.

Two construction workers did die in 2007. One died in both 2005 and 2006.

Violators will be forced to appear before a judge, along with paying the $375 fine. Individuals who commit a second speeding offense in work zones face a $1,000 penalty and will have to appear before a judge. They could have their license suspended for 90 days.

There's no leniency when it comes to issuing the tickets, says Compton, as machines will be matching speeds with license plates and driver images, then mailing out the ticket.

"Speeding is speeding. Even with a regular speeding ticket, there's no grace if you break the law," Compton said.

Images of the driver's face and the front and rear license plates on the vehicle will be recorded. If the driver is anyone other than the owner of the vehicle, the owner will not be responsible for the ticket.