Photo enforcement         

[MAY 22, 2006]  SPRINGFIELD -- On Saturday, Gov. Rod. R. Blagojevich signed a traffic safety measure designed to make Illinois roads safer by giving local governments the ability to use photo enforcement at traffic signals. The governor signed House Bill 4835, which authorizes counties in northeastern Illinois and the Metro East area to use photo enforcement at red lights. Cameras at red lights are already in use in Chicago.

"Too many drivers think that running a red light isn't a big deal or that they won't be caught. It is a big deal because it's dangerous, and now, with photo enforcement, they will be caught," said Blagojevich.

House Bill 4835, sponsored by Rep. Angelo "Skip" Saviano, R-Elmwood Park, and Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, applies to Madison and St. Clair counties in Metro East and to suburban Cook County and the other collar counties in northeastern Illinois. It allows local governments to establish photo enforcement to catch red light violators. The Department of Transportation will work with local governments to establish locations where the photo enforcement for red lights is installed, and the agency will continue to monitor and analyze crashes at those locations to determine effectiveness. The legislation is effective immediately.

"Photo enforcement at intersections is a huge step forward in preventing accidents due to people running red lights. I was proud to sponsor this legislation and thank the governor for signing it," said Saviano.

"These cameras will make roads safer for pedestrians and motorists," Cullerton said. "Other sites that have used photo enforcement have seen see far fewer violations and accidents from people who would otherwise run red lights. This new law is an easy and effective way to help save lives."

Violators who have five unpaid tickets on their record could have their driving privileges suspended. The civil penalty for violations would be up to $100.

Fatalities at intersections represent 26 percent of fatalities in Illinois; 80 percent of those fatalities occur at intersections with signals.

"Stepping up enforcement against drivers who run red lights was identified as a priority by traffic safety stakeholders across Illinois when we put together our highway safety plan," said Department of Transportation Secretary Timothy W. Martin. "This gives local authorities in heavily populated areas of the state an important new enforcement tool."

On May 16, the governor signed similar legislation authorizing the use of photo enforcement at railroad crossings. Senate Bill 2865, sponsored by Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, and Saviano, gives local governments authority to use photo enforcement to crack down on drivers who go around lowered crossing gates. The legislation came in response to an accident the evening before Thanksgiving, when a Metra express train crashed into several cars trapped in rush-hour traffic at the Grand Avenue railroad crossing in Elmwood Park, injuring 16 people. Senate Bill 2865 takes effect Jan. 1, 2007.

[News release from the governor's office]