Speeders, beware: State fines going up
SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Speeders in Illinois soon will learn a fast lesson: Getting caught could be costly.
Beginning Sept. 15, fines for speeding tickets will increase, raising additional revenue for Illinois State Police and local governments.
The standard fine for speeding up to 20 mph over the limit in Illinois will increase to $120, up $45. Those who go 20 to 29 mph over the speed limit will see their fine increase from $95 to $140. And drivers zipping along more than 30 mph over the posted speed limit will pay $160, a $55 increase.
Other increases in fines signed off on by the Illinois Supreme Court include raising the penalty for seat-belt violations by $5 to $60. Fines for unlawful use of a license jumps to $1,500 from $750, while unlicensed driving or misdemeanor driving with a suspended or revoked license will draw a $1,500 fine, up $500. An identical increase applies to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The increases apply to situations in which motorists get ticketed for speeding and other infractions but don’t have to appear in traffic court, instead opting to plead guilty and pay the ticketing officer or mail in a payment.
That’s often cheaper than going to court, where costs can put the final tab for a speeding ticket above $200.
Backers of the increase call the move warranted, given that most fines on traffic violations in Illinois haven’t changed since the early 1990s and Illinois’ fines were less than many other states.
“If it costs you a little more, you’ll think about a ticket a little more,” Jeffrey Ford, a Champaign County Circuit Court judge who chaired the Supreme Court subcommittee that recommended the increases, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The increases may pump more revenues into some cash-strapped county and local governments, though the courts, the secretary of state’s office or the Illinois Municipal League can’t say how much.
Under a new state law that took effect in June, an additional $15 per ticket issued would go into a fund meant to stave off layoffs of state troopers as the state grapples with a $13 billion budget gap. That fund is expected to generate about $22 million a year, said state Rep. Jim Sacia, a Pecatonica Republican who sponsored the bill.
Under the Illinois Supreme Court rules, up to $30 for tickets is taken off the top of the fine for various court fees, with the rest of the fine divided among the local government, the state treasurer and the county general fund.
Some motorists aren’t liking the heftier fines.
“Man, that’s too much,” said Michael Green, a 32-year-old Chicago forklift operator. “They’ve already got their hands in too many people’s pockets. I’m going to be more careful. I’m going to drive like somebody’s grandfather.”
