State Cracking Down On Abuse Of Disabled Parking Placards
CHICAGO (CBS) -- If you plan to drive to your Black Friday adventure, make sure you park in the correct place, because if you snag a disabled parking spot to avoid the hassle of hunting for a spot, it could take a big bite out of your holiday shopping budget.
Illinois Secretary of State Police were patrolling mall parking lots all across the state on Friday, making sure vehicles parked in spots reserved for the disabled have valid parking placards.
With Friday's frigid temperatures, officials know a lot of Black Friday shoppers are looking for parking spots close to the stores, and might want to abuse handicapped parking privileges.
For the ninth year in a row, the state is conducting a sting, checking disabled parking placards to make sure handicapped parking spots are used properly.
Last year, the state issued more than 90 citations to vehicles parked in spots for the disabled by using invalid parking placards.
Motorists who abuse a disabled parking placard face a fine of $600, and possible suspension of their driver's license. Anyone who parks in a disabled space without displaying a placard faces a minimum $250 fine.