The Illinois State Police and the Department of Transportation have strengthened enforcement of the Move Over Law, or Scott’s Law, urging drivers to move over or slow down for stationary vehicles with flashing lights. Non-compliance could result in fines from $250 to $10,000, and serious violations leading to injuries or fatalities may result in felony charges and suspended driving privileges. Since 2019, ISP has reported 71 injury crashes related to this law, including fatalities. Enhanced awareness efforts include warnings on navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps. The aim is to prevent accidents and make compliance as habitual as seatbelt use.
“We’ve all heard it, move over and slow down for emergency vehicles on the side of the road with their emergency lights activated,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Despite this, we continue to see to crashes, including deadly crashes, because someone refused to move over and slow down. To help end this reckless behavior, we want the public to know that if you fail to move over and slow down in Illinois, you will get a ticket. The days of receiving a warning are over. Move over or get pulled over.”
“The main goal of the Move Over Law is to eliminate preventable crashes, injuries and deaths,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “But the easiest way is to please slow down and give plenty of extra distance to people and vehicles on the side of the road. With your help, we can make our highways and streets safer for everyone.”
The Move Over Law not only applies to law enforcement vehicles but also to ambulances, fire vehicles, IDOT Emergency Traffic Patrol vehicles, tow trucks, and other authorized emergency vehicles as defined under the Illinois Vehicle Code. However, ISP and IDOT urge drivers to move over and slow down for any vehicle with flashing lights stopped on the side of the road.
The fine for a Move Over Law violation is between $250 and $10,000. If the violation results in the injury or death of another person, it’s a felony, and driving privileges could be suspended for up to two years.
More information about Illinois’ Scott’s Law can be found on the ISP website, as well as a Scott’s Law dashboard that includes information and data about ISP crashes.
