I wrote last fall about a
controversial law that the Illinois legislature passed, which would allow the
city of Chicago to install speeder cameras around the city. Mayor Emanuel was
heavily endorsing the law and was touting it as a measure that would help protect
children. The cameras are apparently going to be mainly positioned around
schools and parks. Governor Quinn finally signed the measure into law last
week.
These cameras have had plenty of
skepticism from the the public, media and other lawmakers. State Representative
Ann Williams, who represents part of the North side of Chicago, is one
politician who opposed the new law. She told the Chicago Tribune about
her concerns: “I feel
that having cameras on every corner really changes the character of a
neighborhood,” Williams said. “Imagine walking through your
neighborhood on a beautiful day, looking up, and there’s a camera pointed at
you. I just don’t know if I want that feeling on every corner in every
neighborhood.”
Other people has
argued that these cameras were being installed merely to raise revenue for the
city. Mayor Emanuel has disagreed with this theory from the beginning and has
stated time and again that the purpose for these cameras is to protect
children. Governor Quinn echoed this sentiment: “I think that you’ve got to understand that if you save even one
life, you are saving the whole world,” Quinn said during an appearance at
a high school on the Far South Side. “I mean, what do you say to a parent
that’s been there from the day their son or daughter was born and they’re
killed by a speeding motorist next to their school or their park?
“I think our job
is to rise to the occasion and do what’s necessary to protect our kids.”
I think time will have
to tell whether these cameras were useful. We will have to look at the
statistics after a year or two to see if the amount of vehicle-pedestrianaccidents have decreased in Chicago. It will also be important if the amount of
vehicle-pedestrian accidents decrease in the specific areas where the cameras
are placed.
If you or someone you
love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago vehicle-pedestrianaccident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free
consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at
www.blgchicago.com.