photo radar in chicago workzones?

[Mackid343]

i heard on the news that they have put photo radar in chicago workzones to cut down on speeding...the officer that was being inverviewed said there is a "beam" that clocks you and shows you your speed (like a speed sign) and gives you the opportunity to slow down before taking your picutre...for some reason i dont believe this at all... first of all he called it a "beam" and the fact that it gives you a chance to slow down...weird, no?

can anyone confirm this or say whats actually happening?

they also said that if your from wisconsin, points will be assessed to your license if you are caught by this photo radar in illinois. it was my understanding of wisconsin laws that if you are out of state, points can not be assessed to your license if you are caught speeding. unless this just changed, i dont know what they are talking about

[Mackid343]

anyone know about this at all?

[proudNMAmember]

I read about this the other day. Check out www.thenewspaper.com. There is some great useful info on there. Mk

[dru_hill]

What band of radar do these vans use? Instant on? Range? I would imagine that its always on since there are so many cars going past it. Does it have multiple cameras, one for each lane? Whats the slop on the speed limit? Am I going to get a ticket for going 46 in a 45? Is it just a front plate camera, or should I take off my front plate and risk the $50 or whatever to not get a $375 1 mph over speeding ticket?

[skytrekker]

Yeah, it's true. They had one van on display at the Chicago Auto Show this year. It's a big, white, marked van with a sign erected on top saying what the speed limit is and another big sign indicating your speed. The cameras and radar antennae are all behind the rear tinted windows. One trooper sits in the back of the van and monitors all the equipment while it's operating. So they don't sit there forever. I have no idea what band they use since I haven't come across one on the road yet. But Illinois has 3 of them on lease from a private company because it's more cost effective when newer technology comes out. One is roaming around downstate somewhere, and the other 2 are in the Chicago area. One is down around the southern tristate. The other one is dedicated to the Dan Ryan because of the huge construction project. There are special paved niches where they park them. You can tell because there is no shoulder down there and the paved spaces are preceded with permanent signs saying "Photo Speed Enforcement..."

A week ago on the 20th, they used the van for the first time on the Dan Ryan construction project and nabbed 2500 speeders according to the Chicago Tribune. They have to pay $375 and must show up to court. The courts have been trained on photo radar cases and are ready for the huge amount of defendants. So my advice is avoid the Ryan altogether. I'm pretty positive the radar is always on since the officer at the auto show told me the officer in the van just monitors the equipment and van. It's all automated. There's a computer setup inside that controls everything. Apparently the law requires that two photos be taken. The camera takes a picture of your face and one of your license plate and sends you a ticket in a few days.

I wouldn't be too worried since there are only 3 in the entire state, and they aren't considering leasing more, at least for now anyway. And the Dan Ryan is so messed up, that I won't be using it for the next 2-3 years. Like I said, I haven't seen one on the road yet. I saw signs for these things on the Ryan last summer and never did see one. But they made the news recently. So I guess they're going to use them in full force.

[skytrekker]

Oh, and reportedly they are set at a threshold of some sort. But it's not going to give you a ticket for going 46 in a 45. They wouldn't say what the threshold was of course. I'm sure it's like 55 at least.

And there is a camera up by the windshield, so taking your front plates off will not work, unless you take the back one off too. But I wouldn't take that chance!

Let me know if anyone encouters one. I'd like to know what band they're using too, and what kind of range they have.

[Mackid343]

thats nice of them to put "photo speed enforcement" on the pavement. you dont even need any countermeasures if your a smart driver

its sneaky using the camera in the front, no one can get away with taking off their front plate now

my guess is k band but i could be wrong...it might be ka. does the officer press the button for who gets a ticket? is that how they give you "warning" to slow down by the "your speed is" sign? when i heard the news report they were like "it'll give you a chance to slow down before taking your picture"

thanks for the info!

[skytrekker]

Well, by giving you a chance to slow down, they mean they have a sign posted before the van (albeit a short distance) indicating photo speed enforcement ahead. And finally they have the sign on top of the vehicle telling you what your speed is. But it'll be 150 ft before you realize you're about to get your photo taken. And by then it's too late to slow down. So their warnings are there just to make the public believe it's for safety, not money. But they set them up in such a way that you really don't have much of a warning at all. After all, they really don't want you to slow down. Then how are they going to make a buck? They're not leasing them for $2000/month for the hell of it.

Yeah, they have cameras front and back. I walked into the one at the chicago auto show. The technology is pretty cool. It's very neat how the system can get an accurate shot of your face and your license plate. I just hope it's never me they get. But I figure I'll have enough warning with my V1, if I dare go down that way. And the radar is always on. The officer doesn't interact with the system at all. He's just required to be there to keep an eye on things. I'm sure they'd like to nail the guy who throws **** at the van. LOL

[Mackid343]

well, good thing its constant on . anyone with a detector will surely not get caught if they are smart

[proudNMAmember]

With constant on, detecting these kind of radar sources should be easy. Mk