Speed safety cameras save lives
– Expand use of this proven technology
Vote YES to advance House Bill (HB) 1389, HB 4281 and HB 4404
The Issue:
- Traffic crashes are a deadly and costly threat to Illinois families that require urgent attention and action.
- In 2023, of the 1,241 traffic fatalities in the state, 35 percent were speeding related, which exceeds the national average of 29 percent.
- Speeding related fatalities in Illinois were 25 percent higher in 2023 compared to 2014. During the same period fatalities among vulnerable road users (VRUs) increased as well with a 62 percent rise in pedestrian fatalities and a 52 percent uptick in bicyclist and other cyclists fatalities.
- Traffic crashes cause nearly $14 billion of economic damage to Illinois annually which is equivalent to a “crash tax” of $1,103 per resident, according to a 2019 analysis. When updated for inflation alone, in 2026, costs would equate to approximately $18.1 billion.
The Solution:
- HB 1389, HB 4281 and HB 4404
- HB 1389 would authorize all municipalities in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair and Will counties to use speed safety cameras in safety zones.
- HB 4281 would permit use of speed safety cameras in safety zones in all municipalities with a population of 25,000 or greater in Cook County.
- HB 4404 would allow home rule units to use speed safety cameras and non-home rule units to do so via a referendum.
- No locality would be required to implement speed safety cameras. These measures would simply give localities the ability to use this safety tool.
- Speed safety cameras are verified to deter speeding and its impact and are recommended for adoption by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), among others.
- A study by Carnegie Mellon University of speed safety cameras in Philadelphia, PA found a 90 percent reduction in speeding and an approximately 50 percent decrease in crashes and injuries relative to the most similar arterials, all arterials and local roads in Philadelphia.
- A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that speed safety cameras alone resulted in a 19 percent reduction in the likelihood that a crash caused a fatal or incapacitating injury. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) found that automated speed enforcement reduces fatalities and injuries by 20-37 percent and is particularly effective in school and construction zones.
- Small increases in speed cause serious declines in safety. Crash tests show that speed upticks of even five to ten miles-per-hour (mph) greatly escalate a driver’s risk of injury or death.
- Speed increases also immensely impact pedestrians and other VRUs. The average risk of death for a pedestrian is 10 percent at an impact speed of 23 mph, 25 percent at 32 mph, and 50 percent at 42 mph.
- Law enforcement officers risk their lives when performing their duties on the roadways every day, and it is implausible for them to be everywhere for every violation. Speed safety cameras augment traditional enforcement without requiring a traffic stop.
Speed Safety Cameras Protect Illinois Residents and Visitors and Keep Families Whole—Vote YES to advance HB 1389, HB 4281 and HB 4404!