18-04-2025
‘Move over or get pulled over': Illinois State Police reiterate no-tolerance policy
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Illinois State Police troopers are reiterating their no-tolerance policy for drivers who don't move over for law enforcement and emergency vehicles.
Commonly referred to as Scott's Law in Illinois after Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Scott Gillen, who was hit and killed while responding to a traffic accident 25 years ago.
'Every motorist is required to get over and slow down in the other lane upon approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing,' said Sergeant Wes Matarelli. 'That could be a law enforcement vehicle, it could be a fire truck, it could be an ambulance, any EMS personnel.'
Vehicles the law applies to can be found under the Illinois Vehicle Code.
Matarelli explains why this is being broadcasted right now.
'For years and years we've been advocating this law, telling people to move over, slow down,' he said. 'This is nothing new. But we're still consistently getting in crashes, crashes that involve serious injuries to our first responders and our troopers. We're not changing the law. We're just stating that now we are going to be writing tickets, not warnings.'
Violators could be fined $250-$10,000, and if there is injury or death of another person, it's a felony and a possible driving suspension of up to two years.
Just this year, there have been five Move-Over crashes, four of which involved a trooper being injured.
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