Author Topic: Chicago, IL crack down this weekend  (Read 8380 times)

Offline PeteSC

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Chicago, IL crack down this weekend
« on: August 27, 2005, 02:22:03 AM »
Cops plan crackdown on motorcyclists

By Lorene Yue
Tribune staff reporter
Published August 26, 2005, 4:02 PM CDT


Motorcyclists headed out for a ride this weekend should lay off the lead foot. Illinois State Police are initiating a crackdown on reckless riding.

Starting late Saturday night, troopers will set up safety checks at exit ramps along Interstate Highway 57 between Interstate Highway 94 on Chicago's South Side and 159th Street in south suburban Markham.

Police said they would be looking out for motorcyclists traveling more than 30 m.p.h. over the posted speed limit and for erratic driving behavior.

"We're working on the fatal crash rate and public safety," said Trooper Greg Rieves. "The crash rate has been lower this year than in the past, and we want to keep it that way."




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Offline WEINERDOGBONE

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Chicago, IL crack down this weekend
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2005, 10:57:02 PM »
I've driven in Chicago quite a bit and I would say the average speed for every vehicle on the road is about 30mph over the speed limit.

I would say that large trucks traveling 80 to 90 mph might pose a greater hazard than a motorcycle traveling at similar speeds. I have had several near death experiences with large trucks on the expressways around Chicago. Great city with horrible traffic. My rant is finished now.

Offline PeteSC

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« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2005, 11:19:31 PM »
well, only a small percentage of large trucks will do 80-90, to start with!
  Maybe 10% of all 'big' trucks will do over 80....and you're probably seeing those.
 Most 'company' trucks are governed by one means or another to 75, or under.   (Many under 70).   Of course...downhill is another story....

  I'm guessing they're trying to crack down on the squids and stunters hauling arse in the Metro area.  Good luck...right?
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Offline PeteSC

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Chicago, IL crack down this weekend
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2005, 11:40:43 PM »
A case of biker beware

Cops plan 'crotch rocket' crackdown

Saturday, August 27, 2005




By Guy Tridgell
Staff writer


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interstate 57 through the south suburbs takes on another life after midnight.
Traffic thins. Lanes open. The need for speed grows.

For those who want to turn loose their motorcycles for a high-speed romp, I-57 is a dream.

"It's wide open going south, especially when it gets past midnight," Illinois State Police Capt. Leonard Stallworth said. "Bikers feel they can open it up. It is a straight shot."

That urge will be curbed tonight.

Between 11:50 p.m. and 4 a.m. Sunday, state and local police will conduct a cooperative sting to catch motorcycle drivers wreaking havoc on I-57.

Between 15 and 20 troopers will be stationed on the interstate. A police airplane will monitor traffic from above.

To prevent bikers from escaping police by exiting I-57, officers from suburbs such as Calumet Park, Markham, Harvey and Country Club Hills will guard the ramps into their towns.

Motorcyclists speeding and driving recklessly will be targeted.

But police are not hiding that the brunt of the crackdown is aimed at "crotch rockets" — sleek, colorful cycles known to reach speeds in excess of 150 mph.

Special attention will be paid to drivers speeding in packs, swerving through traffic and performing stunts.

"They are terrorizing other motorists," Stallworth said.

Mike Witter of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration office in Olympia Fields said crotch rockets are a leading cause behind the national increase in motorcycle fatalities — a jump of 300 in 2004.

Witter, a south suburban resident, experienced a close encounter with one while driving home on the Dan Ryan Expressway after a game at U.S. Cellular Field.

"He passed us — on one wheel — on the expressway," Witter said. "It is intimidating. They know they are fast. They know they can move in and out. They make you nervous."

The number of motorcycles on Illinois roads is on the rise.

In 2001, 213,963 motorcycles were registered in the state, according the secretary of state's office. Last year, the number was 273,319.

High-performance models, produced by Japanese manufacturers Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda, are particularly appealing to male drivers in their teens and early 20s, police said.

They also are frustrating to law enforcement because the bikes are nimble, quick to accelerate and elusive.

Those same characteristics can put too much motorcycle in the hands of inexperienced riders.

Last year, eight bikers died on Chicago expressways. The tally this year is two: one on the Dan Ryan, another on I-57.

Martin Pavilonis understands the frustration, even though his Speed Limit Cycle in Markham specializes in sport bikes.

Pavilonis attributes inconsiderate riders to the eternal quest to stretch the boundaries of youth and the growing popularity of extreme sports that encourage daredevil behavior.

"The problem is large groups of guys are just flying around," he said. "Are police being prejudiced? Yes. Do they have a reason for it? Absolutely. They are profiling."

Speed Limit Cycle, Pavilonis said, is encouraging young bikers to be smart.

The shop offers a program for novice bikers to buy smaller, less powerful cycles. They can return their bike within a year for equal value — 30 cents is deducted for every mile accumulated — toward a bigger model.

"The old way of doing it was a guy would go out and buy the biggest bike they could," Pavilonis said. "People don't realize the size and the speed."

His advice to the owners of crotch rockets who need a speed fix: Get the bike off the road and go to a track.



  It will be interesting to see how many tickets they write tonight.....
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I'm really a very hot, sexy,lesbian, trapped in this fat, middle-aged, male body......

Offline Desolation Angel

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Chicago, IL crack down this weekend
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2005, 01:00:37 AM »
Quote from: "WEINERDOGBONE"
I've driven in Chicago quite a bit and I would say the average speed for every vehicle on the road is about 30mph over the speed limit.

I would say that large trucks traveling 80 to 90 mph might pose a greater hazard than a motorcycle traveling at similar speeds. I have had several near death experiences with large trucks on the expressways around Chicago. Great city with horrible traffic. My rant is finished now.


I honestly can't imagine it being worse than Dallas, but since it's so much bigger, I guess it's possible.

North Dallas traffic sux.

Offline PaulVS

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Chicago, IL crack down this weekend
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2005, 10:15:38 AM »
I used to live in Kankakee which was a 30 mile commute to/from work on ol' Highway 57.

It is a definitely a wide open road that you can let 'er rip on.  

In the 2 years I lived there I think I saw one trooper speed trap on my daily commute.  

I didn't have my motorcycle then... but I would generally be driving at 80-90 mph.  I even tested out the governor on my Olds Alero once (108 mph)  There's not a lot of places cops could hide a speed trap on that section.  (Straight highway/clear line-of-sight/few bridges)

I'm not surprised they're finally cracking down in that area.


Offline Red01

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Chicago, IL crack down this weekend
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2005, 09:07:53 PM »
One of the latest trick in our Troopers' book is to use unmarked cars besides the normal Crown Vics, Impalas, Tahoes & Expeditions and run anything under the sun - with civilian license plates, sometimes even out-of-state plates. Many of these come from drug busts or other siezures. Cars like these in co-ordination with aerial surviellance would be one way to hand out a lot of performance awards in open country like that.

Another trick is to plant "survey crews" who use Lidar instead of transits and radio ahead to their buddies with the award certificates.
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Offline chevsuz12

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Chicago, IL crack down this weekend
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2005, 11:57:09 PM »
Well, I do live in the Chicago area.  Unless I absolutely must, I will not ride my bike on the interstates during rush hour traffic.  The problem is not the bikes.  The problems I see are tailgating at 80+ mph. and unsafe lane changes by the cagers.  Each and every single time I have ridden to or from work and have taken the interstate I average about 3 near misses to which I have had people not look in mirrors or turn their heads and cut directly into my lane with no more than 3-5 feet from my bike.  If I were to slam the brakes then I would be pummeled by the idiot riding my ass.  

I commute on 1-90, I-290, and I-355.  At rush hour times the fast lane can easily reach over 90mph in bumper to bumper traffic.  To make matters worse traffic is often stop and go as well.  And there is little the cops can or will do, they do however stop the ones that drive faster than the flow, and they do often stop the big trucks.  However, it is nearly impossible to follow a 55mph limit when the average speed is above 80mph!
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