Public Act 93-0624

SB978 Enrolled                       LRB093 02938 DRH 02954 b

    AN ACT in relation to vehicles.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section  5.   The  Illinois  Vehicle  Code  is amended by
changing Section 11-602 as follows:

    (625 ILCS 5/11-602) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-602)
    Sec.  11-602.  Alteration  of   limits   by   Department.
Whenever  the  Department  determines,  upon  the basis of an
engineering and traffic investigation concerning any  highway
for which the Department has maintenance responsibility, that
a  maximum  speed  limit prescribed in Section 11-601 of this
Chapter is greater or less than is reasonable  or  safe  with
respect  to the conditions found to exist at any intersection
or other place on such highway or  along  any  part  or  zone
thereof,   the  Department  shall  determine  and  declare  a
reasonable and safe absolute maximum speed  limit  applicable
to  such  intersection  or place, or along such part or zone.
However, such limit shall not exceed 65 miles per hour, or 55
miles per hour for a second division vehicle designed or used
for the carrying of a gross weight of 8,001  pounds  or  more
(including  the weight of the vehicle and maximum load), on a
highway or street which is especially  designed  for  through
traffic  and  to,  from,  or  over which owners of or persons
having an interest in abutting property or other persons have
no right or easement, or only a limited right or easement, of
access, crossing, light, air, or view, and shall  not  exceed
55 miles per hour on any other highway. Where a highway under
the   Department's   jurisdiction  is  contiguous  to  school
property,  the  Department  may,  at  the  school  district's
request, set a reduced maximum speed limit for student safety
purposes in the portion of the highway that faces the  school
property  and  in  the  portions  of  the highway that extend
one-quarter mile in each direction from the opposite ends  of
the  school  property.  A limit so determined and declared as
provided in this Section becomes effective, and suspends  the
applicability  of  the  limit prescribed in Section 11-601 of
this Chapter, when appropriate signs  giving  notice  of  the
limit  are  erected  at  such intersection or other place, or
along  such  part  or  zone  of  the   highway.    Electronic
speed-detecting  devices  shall  not  be used within 500 feet
beyond any such sign in the direction of travel; if  so  used
in  violation  hereof,  evidence  obtained  thereby  shall be
inadmissible  in  any  prosecution  for  speeding.   However,
nothing  in this Section prohibits the use of such electronic
speed-detecting devices within 500 feet of a  sign  within  a
special school speed zone indicating such zone, conforming to
the  requirements  of  Section  11-605 of this Act, nor shall
evidence obtained thereby be inadmissible in any  prosecution
for speeding provided the use of such device shall apply only
to  the enforcement of the speed limit in such special school
speed zone.
(Source: P.A. 89-444, eff. 1-25-96; 89-551, eff. 1-1-97.)

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.