Hi,
Today I was ticketed while driving my four passenger (4 doors) Tundra Pickup with Disabled plates, because it was a 'truck.'
I am permanently disabled and have driven down LSD for more than 10 years !!!
This is the first time I was issued a ticket for being a 'truck.'...
I bought the truck due to a cervical 'fusion' suffered in an accident which does not allow for enough neck flexation to be able to get into a normal automobile.
I am encredulous at the amount of pickups that drove by me while I was being 'written up,' even after I explained to the officer that the mere presence of disabled plates on this vehicle classified it as a 'passenger vehicle' but to no avail...
I am hoping to have this nulled given the circumstances...
Please advise.
Thanks you
Al
The restriction for pickups and other trucks on City of Chicago Streets and Boulevards is a Chicago City Ordinance, not a state law. It is enforced by Chicago Police as a rule, not the Illinois State Police. There have been many cases of persons securing passenger plates for pickup trucks in an attempt to circumvent the law, however they can also be ticketed for Improper Use of Registration. This does not apply in your situation, however. As I confirmed with Investigator Kennedy of the Illinois Secretary of State Police in Springfield, you are permitted to display Disabled Plates on either a passenger vehicle or a "class B" truck.
As in the situations above, displaying such plates does not change the classification of the vehicle however. Trucks of any kind are prohibited from many Chicago Streets and Boulevards (including Lake Shore Drive). This is covered in Chicago Municipal Traffic Ordinance Chapter 9-72-020. Although it has become popular in recent years for people to use pickups for personal transportation, their original purpose is for hauling materials and commodities. (they have a truck "bed" for that purpose) You can try contacting the City of Chicago to see if exceptions are ever allowed in a specialized situation such as yours. Your other option is to plead your case to the City Judge at your appointed court date. You might try contacting the Chicago Police Department Traffic Enforcement Section at (312) 745-4477 and see if they might be able to shed further light on the situation.
Randy
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