Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Are the flashing lights in your rearview mirror, policeman with radar gun and speed tickets your favorite things? If not, then make sure you drive under the limit, wear seatbelt and signal all your turns.
In Lake County, New Chicago's borders enclose just two-thirds of a mile, but police there issued 2,030 tickets for traffic violations - the fastest clip of any Lake County community.
"Speed traps" is a term police tend to avoid, and in recent years ticketing has increased as federal grants have funded aggressive enforcement of seat-belt laws and drinking and driving offenses. Also the help of handheld police radar guns and speed trailers is very useful.
New Chicago gets a little extra revenue itself. The town collected $68,000 in traffic fines from the Lake County courts in 2006, enough to pay three officers $10.50 an hour for a year's worth of 40-hour work weeks.

So, be careful on the road, stay warm and drive safely!