Here in Middle America, there are small towns where going a couple of miles per hour over the speed limit will get you stopped by the town’s lone police officer. These “speed traps” are dotted throughout the region as, many times, a significant portion of a town’s revenue comes from issuing these tickets.
Now, the entire city of Chicago will become one, gigantic speed trap. Mayor Lori Lightfoot is going to rig traffic cameras to automatically issue tickets for residents going just 6 MPH over the posted speed limit.
Chicago Tribune: Under the mayor’s proposal, as part of her 2021 budget package, anyone caught by a camera driving from 6 to 9 mph above would get a warning. Getting caught on camera a second time would prompt a $35 ticket in the mail.
Currently, only those caught driving 10 mph above the limit get the $35 tickets. Tickets of $100 are issued to drivers caught speeding by 11 mph or more above the posted limit. The city has the authority to issue the tickets at lower speeds, but has never used it.
It’s important to note that the Chicago city council has been nickel-and-diming residents for years, constantly raising fees and fines in a futile effort to bring the budget in balance. Lightfoot made reducing those fines and fees a centerpiece of her campaign.- READ MORE
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