Illinois State Police (ISP) have announced that they are out in force to make sure that drivers move over for emergency vehicles over the next few weeks.
On February 20, ISP announced “statewide enforcement details over the next several weeks to aggressively enforce violations of the Move Over law, also known as “Scott’s Law”, and all distracted driving violations.”
The enforcement campaign is a response to an uptick in squad car strikes due to drivers ignoring the Move Over law. ISP says that 10 squad cars have been struck so far in 2021.
According to ISP, “A person who violates the Move Over Law, commits a business offense and faces a fine of no less than $250 or more than $10,000 for a first offense. A Move Over Law citation also requires a mandatory court appearance, regardless of what state the motorist is from. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator’s driver’s license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years.”
A first time violation for distracted driving can result in a fine of up to $75. A distracted driving violation that results in serious injury or death results in a penalty of at least three years and up to six years in prison.
In Illinois, the Move Over law “requires drivers to change lanes when approaching stationary emergency vehicles, including all highway maintenance vehicles displaying flashing lights, and any stationary vehicle with their hazard lights activated … if changing lanes is not possible or unsafe, drivers are required to proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle and leave a safe distance until they have safely passed the stationary vehicle.”