Racers in Illinois

[Doug Blackley]

In a perfect world they would make being stupid a ticketable offense; of course that might just balance their budgets (oh wait they'd still out spend the revenue) lol.

[CycloneFE]

I was a volunteer Firefighter for 20 years and I know what the workers face on those highways and they need all the help we can give them. That being said, I feel a compromise would also be that the speed limit be met in the middle at 55 anytime workers are not on the scene and the cameras be shut off during that time.

[Rob Petrie E395]

If you are ever on I64 in IL. About the 67-68 mile marker there is a birdge going over a road and a set of RR tracks. If you look the Gaurd rail is still torn up to this day at least it was the last time I passed it. 2 years ago I was winching a car up onto my rollback when a guy on a cell phone ran off the right side of the road. He hit the car I was winching onto the truck so hard it put it through the headache rack of the roll back bed and the top of the cab of the truck then over the front and into the gaurdrail. Me and the guy that owned the car are lucky to be alive and uninjured. I decided right then that would be the last car I would tow as I have had way too many close calls when doing it . I put the check from the insurance co in the bank sold my other truck and now I call someone else to tow them in. Scared does not even come close to describing me that night. Too many stupid people for me to keep doing it.

[Chris1529]

Originally Posted by Bret Kepner

I appreciate the sentiment, Dan, but I was smart enough NOT to fight it. This isn't about rights or freedom or all the other blather. This is about revenue with no restrictions. Anybody who argues that point...especially with a trooper or a judge...is an idiot.

The thing that bothers me most about situations like these is that you have to now prove y ourself innocent instead of law enforcement proving you guilty. I am afraid our "free" country has turned into a police state. I live in WV and it is a rarity now that I drive anywhere that I don't see a police car, and all the agencies from the state police down through counties and cities are still wanting to hire more officers. There is no way to make a law for everything, but that seems to be what is happening.

[Jim B]

As a point of information the work area reduced speed limit is in effect WHETHER OR NOT THE WORK ZONE IS ACTIVE at least in New York and Florida. I was the recepient of a "faster than posted limit" speeding ticket in an inactive work zone. There were no visible signs and all the road work equipment, cones and barriers were neatly stacked on the grass off to the side of the shoulder. There was absolutely no indication that it was an active work zone and there were no personnel working or present. There were police personnel parked under the next overpass and stopping groups of vehicles as they passed. The officer told me there was a speed limit sign attached to a chain link fence that I had failed to notice. (We circled back and couldn't find the sign he was talking about but the squad had moved on and there were no police there anymore) Now I'm sure this was just a revenue producing b***s*** road stop but the lesson that the work zone speed limit law also applies to an inactive work zone at least in New York and Florida is what should be kept in mind. As another poster aptly put it..."Revenue with no restriction"

[Bret Kepner]

You note an important point, Jim. The same applies in Illinois; it doesn't matter if it's an active work zone. If the signs are up, it's fair game.

[Mike Gray]

It's odd that being in California where most of these ideas get started the city of Los Angeles is getting rid of it's red light cameras. Only in LA would the cost to run the cameras exceed the revenue produced by about 1 million dollars a year.
I'll bet the service contract was full of payoffs and bribes.

[JEFF ESSMANN]

hey joe you couldnt be farther off the profesional drivers are the ones that leave plenty of room just so some idiot 4 wheeler that dont know what left lane ends means can cut him off then slam on the brakes expecting the pro driver to stop 40tons in 5 feet that is why it seems we keep things close oh and by the way i have 3-1/2 million miles accident free and no speeding tickets on my record and i also know my width is 8-1/2 feet so i know it will fit in a 10 ft lane so i dont need to slow down to 30mph in a 45 zone because i,m scared it wont fit between the barriers and a michigan st study showed 90%of truck -car accidents caused by the car you just notice the trucks because they are bigger and i wont even start on the stupid laws that are going to force the real profesionals out of this bussiness leaving the trucking industrie even more in demand of drivers than it already is
i would love to see the racers have to take the tests and meet the reqirements i do them totor homes and stackers would disapear real quick lots of pit space would become available

[Tony Janes]

Many driver that have toter also have class 1 licenses or CDL.

[Jim B]

Originally Posted by Mike Gray

It's odd that being in California where most of these ideas get started the city of Los Angeles is getting rid of it's red light cameras. Only in LA would the cost to run the cameras exceed the revenue produced by about 1 million dollars a year.
I'll bet the service contract was full of payoffs and bribes.

According to the public information available in LA there were over 30,000 red light camera violations issued in 2010. With an approximate $450 fine for red light and $150 fine for rolling right turn infractions that gives you some idea of the gross potential revenue. The maintenance contract allegedly only returns 10% of the collected revenue to the city. Since more than 50% of the issued summons remain unpaid the only beneficiaries are the Arizona company that was awarded the installation/maintenance contract and any government officials who may have benefited by the absurd contract terms. Since the court judges are allegedly not enforcing the issued summons (maybe they know something the public doesn't) that results in the monetary deficit. The present contract is expiring in July or August and there are still council members who are pushing for renewal. And some people seem surprised that California is broke......