MOVE OVER LAW ENFORCEMENT

4/17/25

The Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are intensifying efforts to enforce the state's Move Over Law, also known as Scott’s Law, with a zero-tolerance policy.  This law mandates drivers to change lanes and slow down when approaching stationary emergency vehicles with activated lights.  If changing lanes is unsafe, drivers must reduce speed and proceed with caution.

The law applies to a range of vehicles, including law enforcement, ambulances, fire vehicles, IDOT Emergency Traffic Patrol vehicles, tow trucks, and other authorized emergency vehicles.  However, ISP and IDOT urge drivers to move over and slow down for any vehicle with flashing lights stopped on the roadside.

To enhance compliance, ISP has partnered with Google Public Sector and HAAS Alert to provide drivers with advance warnings through apps like Waze and Google Maps, as well as certain vehicle infotainment systems.  The fine for violating the Move Over Law ranges from $250 to $10,000.  If the violation results in injury or death, it becomes a felony, and driving privileges could be suspended for up to two years.

Already in 2025, ISP has reported five move over crashes, resulting in injuries to four troopers.