http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1769.asp Just FYI, don't speed in work zones or drive "aggressively". That seems awfully open to interpretation though.... For $5000 for a first offense, you'd hope it's well proven.
well.. if i were one of those guys in the orange vest working where the only protection you have from the many idiots on the road are orange rubber cones I'd be glad to hear about this law
yeah, I'm figuring that safety was a reason for sure and I'm all for that. I also saw that in the one construction area by my house, they have made $1.4M in EXTRA ticket revenue since February. That's with a simple $170 ticket. This will make that number HUGE. I wonder where that money will go. The aggressive driving ticket is the big one. $5000 for a first offense.
Unreal. This thing will be challenged as being uncons***utional before the first citation is written. Nik
I got p***ed by someone in an SUV that ducked through the orange cones into the work zone and back out to p*** traffic at probably 75MPH a few weeks ago, workers ****tered. I used to do concrete, I'd like to shoot that ***hole. If you're being an ***hat in a construction zone, you deserve it. Good luck to the State of Indiana on collecting it, though...
There was a young guy killed here in a construction zone recently. While I agree with the need for slowdown when they are PRESENT, there needs to be some distinction between speed limits when they are versus when they aren't present. Weekends are case in point. When the 70mph road is narrowed down to 1 lane and is this way for 10-15 miles and no one is working at all, then I believe 35-45 is too slow. JMO. Here in OK, the END CONSTRUCTION signs will be upwards of a mile past the end of the actual construction. This is where the Donut Posse will nail people and make the revenue bucks.
If I read it correctly, The aggressive driving charge looks to be aimed at anyone that would h***le a driver slowing in a work zone. It requires 3 stupid behaviors. I'm fine with that. Someone needs to tell me, though. How exactly can you determine if there are workers present when a work zone often extends around a curve, over a hill, or beyond other limits of your vision? I like the 24/7 enforcement.
I think we all agree that dangerous driving through a work zone should never be tolerated. I have to say though that if I lived in Indiana I would be ticked at the states agressive nature in revenue collecting. IMO this is far more about revenue collecting than the safety of the workers. Now this may apply to many states and I shouldn't single out Indiana but I have a reason for my complaints. I went to pick up my car in Indiana this winter. The guy that took me had a CB radio. I hadn't listened in on one forever. The truck drivers made it a point to let other truck drivers know that if they are in a hurry to NOT wear your seat belts. That if an Indiana trooper pulls you over for speeding he'll simply write you up for no seat belt and then you don't get points on your record. This is a blatent disregard for the lives on Indiana roads. If Indiana really cared about safety on their interstates they would write a ticket for both. Now truckers know they can speed through the state with at most a minor fine if they are caught.
I read the info posted on the link. They say that you will be charged an extra $70 if you go to court on the ticket and are found guilty. I'm thinking this will be the first part that will be challenged as far as cons***utionality goes. I have the right to face my accuser, and the right to do so without additional penalties. Thats why they have all of those extra fees ***ociated with a ticket. My wife got a speeding ticket awhile back, and the actual fine was only $10. With the fees, taxes, and 'court costs' attached to it (she didn't even go to court!) the total was almost $185!
As an OTR trucker, I have to disagree w/that thread re: the seatbelt. Occasionally, a cop anywhere w/write a trucker a citation for a seat belt, IF HE IS ONLY SPEEDING, and not driving aggresively or otherwise breaking the law. This is done to protect a trucker's pts., but yet let him know that breaking the speed laws w/not be tolerated, and subject him to a fine. This is NOT required on the officer's part and not done by all officers. Some of the gung-ho youngsters wouldn't be caught dead doing that. These are the same SOB's that w/stop a rod and give the driver a h***le just for ****s and giggles. Several months back(April 7) I was going south on I-465, west side and saw a sign " Right 3 lanes closed." By the time that I saw the small print under it, " on I-70" I was in the far left lane. Now trucks can't use the far left lane on I-465, and before I got back in the r/h lanes the lights came on. When the African- American officer handed me my citation, I told him he had a good little racket there. He grinned , and said," Yeah, I love it." Cost me $150.00. ONLY violation in Indiana in over 30 yrs. driving through there. If you pay your ticket (uncontested) in 60 days, they will not notify your home state MVD. This is called raising revenue. That cop is a disgrace to his gender, his race, and his badge. In short, an ***hole. But on the other hand, we have construction zones. Every day I will be going through a construction zone, and some fool will p*** everybody going 20, 30, sometimes 40 over the limit. If I related how many times I've seen one of these fools almost kill a worker, you would not believe me. Ask any police officer and they can verify this. Some of you Indiana residents may have seen the billboard reminding you to move over for stopped emergency vehicles. The picture on this billboard happened when a driver (truck, btw) didn't and rearended the squad. It took the troopers life, and the motorists. Apparently, Indiana feels that these huge fines might make people slow down in construction zones. I doubt it will. ........Ole Pork
I'm all for the gigantic fines on careless drivers. I'm on the side of the road a few times a month. It scares the living **** out of me to step out of that truck. I'm always scared that someones' going to hit my bucket truck when I'm 40' above the idiots on the highway.
So if a guy that makes ten bucks an hour gets the $10K fine, they're going to take half his gross annual salary from him? Yeah right. This is stupid, won't be enforced, and is another complete waste of taxpayers' time and money.
Michigan has finally ins***uted 60 or 45 when workers present in construction zones. Since most of the state is a construction zone, I appreciate it. Fines are also doubled here so watch it on your way to Billetproof!
My .02 (since I work on Wisc Hiways) several close calls myself, lost a coworker to a speeder removed a squad from the median and the car that hit him and the car the cop had pulled over. I agree to stiffer fines but thats outragious. read the law to its entirerty fines of upto or **months or years in jail. about the fines tho a DUI costs $1800 but then you have to go through a drivers course $600 plus a "donation" to the dept that pulled you over (a dui has to go thruogh county court here)$500-600+ no license for 6mos(humiliation)plus 2+years insurance hike($60/mo x24 mo=$1440) plus occ. lisence $100 plus you will be put on probation 1yr@ 50 per 1/4= $200 grand total of $4640 plus you other tickets thats a first offense
If you support laws like this, then don't be surprised when your build-for-speed hot rod or too-low custom is illegal. .
I support any law that might save an innocent persons life, doesn't everyone? There is a reason that these things are laws, and if people didn't break the laws as they are written now it wouldn't provide the powers that be an opportunity to place these huge fines on people. I'm sure that if you had a loved one killed by a speeding/reckless driver in a work zone you'd realise that even the most outragous fine isn't enough payment for the crime. If i have a car that's illegal in any way, and i know it, then i don't have any reason to ***** when i get the ticket, no different than if I'm caught speeding or being a jerk in a work zone when i already know that not only is it illegal, it's dangerous and gives lawmakers the chance to impose even higher fines in the hope that it makes people think about what they are doing even if it's just to protect their wallets since they aren't concerned about peotecting another persons life.
For you guys *****ing about the law and fines. You should work along a highway for 1 month. I retired from a electric company and have had to many close calls by stupid jerks that can't obey the law.
Most of the state of Indiana is construction zone. I drive 75-100 miles a day and rarely see work done in construction zones. Its all BS that will ruin lives to raise money for big bro.
I think everyone is on the same page (here at least) about agreeing that it's ridiculous to speed in the construction zones...especially when workers are present. The point of this was just a heads up, but I am curious to know how many people they think could really pay those fines and whether or not any of them would hold up in court. If it saves one life, it's a good thing. It's just a shame that we've had to resort to legislating good judgment and that speed is the only measurement of a drivers incompetence.
With many trips across Indiana behind me, I have to say there always was construction in progress, even if no one was currently working. Here in Ill. "work zones" will be set up, some times for a mile or more. They will sit untouched or with a small hole about 3 inches across, for days or weeks while the local police collect elevated fines. The small hole will be patched and the zone removed. The practice is common here. Corruption is rampant here, though.
I've always threatened to break into the state or county road maintenance department and cut 12" off the ends of all of their shovels and brooms. Everyone knows and understands why... Here in Oklahoma, what has 4 wheels, is yellow, and sleeps 6? A state/county road repair vehicle! Don't get me wrong - if I'm in the wrong, I most definitely deserve to be punished with a ticket. HOWEVER, when these areas are set up to merely create revenue and such without just cause, then laws wind up being enacted such as some of those here in Oklahoma. There are a few towns here (Big Cabin and Stringtown) that are on the nationally recognized speed trap list. They *WERE* so bad that more than 70% of their entire city revenue was from speeding tickets. Stringtown's speed trap is designed to be a trap - by dropping the speed limit from 65mph to 25mph in less than 100 yards. Most people would just let off the gas and coast in, and get popped at the 25mph sign. Why this one? Because it generated the most revenue of all the signs. They got so bad that Oklahoma enacted laws that PREVENTED them from writing ANY speeding violation ticket on the highways that went through their town. This last week they tried to repeal it, but due to their reputation, it was upheld! Here's a link about it: http://kotv.com/news/topstory/?id=128059 Again, don't get me wrong. I always try to do my best to be careful everywhere, especially in work zones. I don't advocate the speeding anywhere except on a track. I don't like this law because it allows the Donut Posse cart blanche to pretty much do as they please.
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