Traffic School, Fine Hike Proposed for Red Light Violators

Governing bodies downstate and in Chicago were talking about red light cameras on Wednesday, with discussions ranging from banning them to increasing their dent on drivers' wallets.

In Springfield, the Illinois Senate's Transportation Subcommittee on the cameras allowed people to testify on five bills related to them.  Four bills would modify the law allowing the use of the cameras, while a fifth would outlaw them altogether. 

Back in Chicago, aldermen questioned the cameras' effectiveness and debated raising the fines and requiring traffic school for violators.

"So I guess the myth that we apparently have held out that this is some kind of a great plan to create education and a plan to dissuade people from violating the law is more a myth than anything else," said Ald. Ed Burke (14th), who introduced the traffic school ordinance, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

As they exist now, Burke called the cameras "a money machine, that's all.  Period."

The class would cost the drivers $25 on top of the $100 fine offenders pay.

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