Public Act 096-0524
 		





HB3956 Enrolled
LRB096 07410 AJT 22564 b






    AN ACT concerning transportation.

 
    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 
Sections 11-601 and 11-602 as follows:
 



    (625 ILCS 5/11-601)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-601)



    Sec. 11-601. General speed restrictions. 

    (a) No vehicle may be driven upon any highway of this State 
at a speed
which is greater than is reasonable and proper with 
regard to traffic
conditions and the use of the highway, or 
endangers the safety of any
person or property.  The fact that 
the speed of a vehicle does not exceed
the applicable maximum 
speed limit does not relieve the driver from the
duty to 
decrease speed when approaching and crossing an intersection,

approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hill 
crest, when
traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, or 
when special hazard exists
with respect to pedestrians or other 
traffic or by reason of weather or
highway conditions.  Speed 
must be decreased as may be necessary to avoid
colliding with 
any person or vehicle on or entering the highway in
compliance 
with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due

care.

    (b) No person may drive a vehicle upon any highway of this 
State at a
speed which is greater than the applicable statutory 
maximum speed limit
established by paragraphs (c), (d), (e), 
(f) or (g) of this Section, by
Section 11-605 or by a 
regulation or ordinance made under this Chapter.

    (c) Unless some other speed restriction is established 
under this
Chapter, the maximum speed limit in an urban 
district for all vehicles is:


        1. 30 miles per hour; and


        2. 15 miles per hour in an alley.

    (d) Unless some other speed restriction is established 
under this Chapter,
the maximum speed limit outside an urban 
district for any vehicle of the
first division or a second 
division vehicle
designed or used for
the carrying of a gross 
weight of 8,000 pounds or less
(including the
weight of the 
vehicle and maximum load) is (1) 65 miles per hour (i) for
all 
highways under the jurisdiction of the Illinois State Toll

Highway Authority and (ii) for all or part of highways that are 
designated by
the Department, have at least 4 lanes of traffic, 
and have a separation between
the roadways moving in opposite 
directions and (2) 55 miles per hour for all
other highways, 
roads, and streets.

    (e) In the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, 
and Will, unless Unless some lesser speed restriction is 
established under
this
Chapter, the maximum speed limit outside 
an urban district 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) is
55 
miles per hour.

    (e-1) Outside the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, 
McHenry, and Will, unless some lesser speed restriction is 
established under this Chapter, the maximum speed limit outside 
an urban district 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) is (1) 
65 miles per hour on any interstate highway as defined by 
Section 1-133.1 of this Code, and (2) 55 miles per hour for all 
other highways, roads, and streets. 
    (f) Unless some other speed restriction is established 
under this Chapter,
the maximum speed limit outside an urban 
district for a bus is:


        1. 65 miles per hour upon any highway which has at 
    least 4 lanes of
traffic
and of which the roadways for 
    traffic moving in opposite directions are
separated by a 
    strip of ground which is not surfaced or suitable for 
    vehicular
traffic, except that the maximum speed limit for 
    a bus on all highways,
roads, or streets not under the 
    jurisdiction of the Department or the Illinois
State Toll 
    Highway Authority
is 55 miles per hour; and


        2. 55 60 miles per hour on any other highway, except 
    that
the maximum speed limit for a bus on all highways, 
    roads, or streets not under
the jurisdiction of the 
    Department or the Illinois State Toll Highway
Authority
is 
    55 miles per hour.

    (g) (Blank). Unless some other speed restriction is 
established under this Chapter,
the maximum speed limit outside 
an urban district for a house car, camper,
private living 
coach, vehicles licensed as recreational vehicles, and any

vehicle towing any other vehicle is 55 miles per hour or the 
posted speed
limit, whichever is less. 

(Source: P.A. 89-444, eff. 1-25-96; 89-551, eff. 1-1-97.)

 
    (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 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. 93-624, eff. 12-19-03.)

 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 
1, 2010.