The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and Illinois Tollway unveiled one of their three new photo speed enforcement vans, designed to help reduce work zone accidents, at the Chicago Auto Show this month. The vans are part of an ongoing attempt by the state to increase traffic safety.

The white, marked vans will be staffed by specially trained Illinois State police officers and will be stationed in construction and maintenance zones. They feature the latest in photo radar technology, and their highly precise cameras will be able to work regardless of time of day or weather conditions.

In 2005, there were 26 deaths in work zones, including one worker. This is a significant decrease from recent years, with 38 work zone deaths, including two workers, in 2004, and 44 work zone deaths, including five workers, in 2003, according to an Illinois Department of Transportation press release.

The departments believe the new vans will help lower work zone fatalities even further.

“The goal is not to give out tickets, but to get compliance with the law,” said Mike Claffey, Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman, in a phone interview. “There is no intention of ambushing people.”

The speed of oncoming cars will be displayed on top of the vans.

“If you’re speeding, you’ll be well aware of it,” Claffey said.

The vans will be marked as Illinois State Police/Illinois Department of Transportation vehicles. Signs indicating that photo enforcement is in effect will also be posted, he said.

Equipped with two high-resolution digital cameras, the van takes pictures of the front and rear of the passing car, its driver and its license plates.

“The cop can zoom in very close and get a very clear image of the driver,” Claffey said.

The police officer must confirm that the picture is a clear one and that it matches the description of the car’s registered driver before a ticket can be issued.

If the driver does not match the vehicle’s registered owner, whether to write the ticket or not will be the police officer’s “judgment call,” said Lt. Lincoln Hampton, chief public information officer for the Illinois State Police, in a phone interview.

More than likely, a ticket will not be issued in that case, he said.

Stricter work zone speeding fines took effect last year. Now, first time offenders face a $375 fine. Second time offenders face a $1,000 fine and a 90-day license suspension. Tickets will be issued to the driver by mail within six days.

The first van will be deployed by the end of March. It will patrol Chicago work zones. The other two vans are not expected to be deployed until later in the year. One will be stationed in downstate Illinois this spring and the other will patrol tollways in Illinois’ northeastern counties, Claffey said.

Photo enforcement is permitted only when workers are present in work zones, according to Illinois law.

People often speed through work zones when workers are not present, said Joelle McGinnis, Illinois Tollway press secretary, in a phone interview. But the 45 mph speed limit is in effect at all times. Drivers must be alert to bumpy surfaces, narrowing lanes and other alterations due to construction.

“People lose sight of the fact that we’ve changed the driving experience they’re having in some way,” she said. “Safety requires drivers to slow down. The majority of the accidents that take place in work zones don’t involve workers. It’s the people traveling through them.”