Illinois Governor Wants Cameras on State Highways

Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich asked state lawmakers to allow the Illinois State Police to set up 108 cameras on the state's highways to catch speeders going both directions on potentially every major state highway. This proposal would mark the most expansive use of camera enforcement in the state. The new plan would target drivers going more than 80 miles per hour and the fine would start at $75. The program would cost an estimated $4 million a year. These cameras could issue tens of thousands of speeding tickets and the governors office estimates that these cameras would generate $40 million in revenue that would be used to hire 500 more state troopers. Such technology is currently in use in construction zones on some stretches of state highways.

Illinois has a bad track record when it comes to using cameras on highways. There have been difficulties with using cameras to catch toll cheats and speeders in work zones. It took the tollway more than a year to send out toll violation tickets causing many drivers to rack up thousands of dollars in fines. A Daily Herald investigation earlier this year exposed these problems along with questions about the system's appeal process and mailing procedures. The Daily Herald reports that these problems have yet to be addressed.

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