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Illinois Traffic citations down thirteen percent from one year ago

The Chicago Tribune’s Trib Local sections are reporting that Illinois traffic stops and citations have dropped dramatically in just one year.

The Tribune reports that:

The drop in stops follows a statewide trend. The Tribune analysis found that traffic stops dropped 9 percent statewide, and the number tickets issued statewide fell 13 percent. Compared to 2008, the number of tickets written to Illinois drivers has dropped by nearly a quarter.

Here are some more numbers:

Northwest suburbs:  “Municipal police departments in the northwest suburbs stopped 247,736 drivers in 2011 and ticketed 150,149, according to the analysis That compares to those same departments stopping 261,202 drivers in 2010 and ticketing 165,696. In all, stops were down 5 percent while drivers ticketed were down 9 percent.”

North suburbs:  “Across the north suburbs, municipal police departments stopped 5 percent fewer drivers in 2011 than they did in 2010, according to state data. Traffic tickets issued by those departments were down 9 percent in that same time period, state figures show.”

South and Southwest suburbs:  “Municipal police departments in the south and southwest suburbs stopped 256,670 drivers in 2011 and ticketed 149,813. That’s compared to those same departments stopping 259,659 drivers in 2010 and ticketing 154,014, according to the analysis.”

This has been a continuing trend over the past several years.  I wrote about the declining number of DUI arrests here.  The Trib Local pieces seem to argue that the main reason behind the falling numbers are the reduced number of patrol officers due to budget cutbacks and retirements, and drivers being more careful.

What do you think?