Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposes the use of hidden speeding cameras and red-light cameras near schools to catch motorists violating traffic laws.
The amount of car accidents involving Chicago students has been staggeringly high, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. There were 861 crashes involving students for a four-year period ending in 2009. In addition, a study found that over 25 percent of drivers violated maximum speed restrictions in school zones and parks.
Under the proposed bill, Emanuel would crack down on school speeders by establishing "safety zones" within one-quarter mile or two blocks of any school, park, or college, reports the Sun-Times. Within these zones, the city would be authorized to use "automated speed enforcement systems" to catch speeding motorists -- this likely includes hidden cameras and cameras installed in stop signs and red-lights.
Motorists who are caught speeding face an automatic $100 ticket sent to the address of the license plate holder.
The number of pedestrian accidents is disproportionately high in Chicago -- reportedly 68 percent higher than New York City. Failure to yield to pedestrians has been the primary cause of these accidents, reports the Sun-Times.
Previously, the primary deterrent to speeders may have been the potential legal liability should drivers get in a car accident. Cars generally have to yield to pedestrians and can be sued if they are careless and hit and injure someone.
With Rahm Emanuel's proposed bill, motorists will have to contend with hidden speeding cameras and automatic ticketing every time they drive in a school zone. He hopes that this will stop school speeders.
Related Resources:
- Find a Chicago Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)
- Rahm Puts On the Red Light (Forbes)
- Pedestrian Accidents Resources (FindLaw)
- Lincoln-Way East High School Runner Dies After Getting Hit by Car (FindLaw's Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog)
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