Here is how this Police scam works. Yes, it's a scam because the streets signs are improperly placed or not present at all. And the Village of Arlington Heights Police dept. make there quota by taking advantage of a DOT error. If you are south bound on Winsor before reaching Palatine Road and turn right on to Frontage Rd. just before Palatine Rd. (Frontage parallels Palatine rd. and merges to Palatine about 300 ft ahead) you will be traveling west bound on Frontage which has a posted speed of 30mph. Palatine Rd. has a posted speed of 45mph. In order to merge on to Palatine safely, you need to accelerate to the traffic speed of Palatine Rd. (45) - And thats when they clock you at, yep, 15miles over the speed limit which the judge considers a violation (if you've gone to court over this). Here's where it gets even better. There is no stop sign or yield sign at the merge point, so if you maintained the 30mph speed you would be forced to stop for passing traffic. As it stands, there should be at least a yield sign that would signal the driver to slow down for the merge, not speed up like a merge in highway traffic. And the police wonder why the general population have no respect for them ???? Are you kiddin' me?

I am an attorney in wheeling, illinois who has seen the speed trap on frontage road westbound and parallel to Palatine Road and west of Windsor Drive. I believe I have a valid defense to any tickets given out at this location. I often use this road and because I know of the speed trap, I am very cautious in use of the frontage road. However, if I ever forget and do get a ticket, I will assert the defense in my own behalf. The defense has to do with the fact that radar detection is improper if it within so many yards of a speed sign facing the same direction. There is such a speed sign that pertains to Palatine Road. However, I believe this sign and the limited distance after the sign where the police situation themselves, would be a legitimate defense to the ticket. The defendant would need bring in a photograph show the sign as well as the location of the speed trap in relation to the speed trap. I believe the distance is 100 hundred yards but I did not take the time to look it up before writing this note. Any attorney who deals in traffic matters, should, however, be aware of the provision of which I speak. If someone chooses to defend on this basis, and if it is done before I ever get a chance to defend on this basis, then the result should be posted on this website. If I am correct, the judge would dismiss the matter, and all tickets given thereafter can be defended on the same basis. Actually the police then finding out that they are operating improperly will either stop the use of that place as the speed trap, our will see to it if possible, to have Department of Transportation move the sign.