A common way for police to begin a conversation with a suspect is by asking if the suspect knows he or she did something wrong. While some people might think that this is just an officer’s way of breaking the ice, it could be that the police officer is trying to get you to make an inculpatory statement about a traffic violation or a more serious crime.

An inculpatory statement is a statement that acknowledges that a person did something illegal. For example, an officer could be trying to get you to admit to speeding or running a red light.

In this situation, people think that if they admit to something then the officer will let them go. This rarely happens.

Your Answer to the Question

A suspension of your license means that the state of Illinois has temporarily removed your driving privileges. No matter the cause, unless your license is permanently revoked, your privileges are restorable, either after the set amount of time has elapsed or once the court deems your eligibility again.

Suspension occurs for a wide variety of reasons, including anything from speeding tickets to delinquent child support payments. If you drive on a suspended license, however, then you are likely to face additional, more serious penalties.

How Did My License Get Suspended in the First Place?

License suspension in Illinois is a frequent occurrence. If you fail to pay ticketed fines, such as parking fines or toll charges for an excessive amount of time, your license is jeopardized. Non-driving related offenses put you at risk as well, such as failure to pay child support or breaking visitation regulations. Other behaviors that can result in a suspension include:

Speeding, no matter how far over the speed limit, is illegal. The reasoning for this is because it puts lives in danger, including your own. Punishments have the potential of being harsh, especially without the right representation. However, if you are charged with speeding in a speed restricted area, such as a construction zone, punishments are exponentially more severe.

What are Speed Restricted Zones?

In all technicalities, it is illegal to speed anywhere, especially as Illinois enforces an “absolute” speed limit law. This law, in short, says that it is illegal to operate a vehicle at a speed over the legal limit by even one mile per hour (MPH). There are a few key areas where the danger of injuring someone is higher. In these locations, law enforcement officials, as well as lawmakers, have agreed that punishments should be more severe to dissuade motorists from driving more than the posted speed limit. These specific areas include construction zones and school zones.

Punishments for Speeding vs. Speed Restricted Area

Traffic tickets are often viewed as a minor annoyance. A fine is paid and the driver moves on. Still, there are times when a traffic ticket can have several long-lasting consequences.

Financial Consequences

You may be required to pay more money than what a fine requires when you are issued a ticket. Depending on your record, your insurance rates may also increase. Some unfortunate drivers have found that their insurance rates become so high that they are no longer able to afford to drive. 

If you are issued too many tickets in a certain period of time, usually one to two years depending on your age, your driver's license may be suspended. In addition, you will have to pay fees to have your license reinstated. If you have to drive for work, then you could face losing your job as well.