When must Illinois drivers move over for stopped vehicles? What Scott’s Law requires

Meredith Howard
·2 min read
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April 18 marked the 10th crash this year related to Scott’s Law, or Illinois’ “Move Over Law.” The legislation was named after Lt. Scott Gillen with the Chicago Fire Department, who was killed in 2000 after being struck by an intoxicated driver while assisting with a crash.

The recent crash occurred in Williamson County, in southern Illinois, and involved a driver failing to move over as an Illinois State Police officer conducted an inspection on the side of Interstate 57 southbound.

The ISP squad car was sideswiped, but the officer and driver were uninjured.

Scott’s Law requires Illinois drivers to move over for emergency vehicles, as well as regular cars in some circumstances. Here’s what to know about the law and the penalties for violating it.

What is Scott’s Law?

Scott’s Law went into effect in 2002, and it’s been amended several times since. The Move Over Law now requires Illinois drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching an emergency vehicle or any other vehicle with hazard or emergency lights flashing.

If changing lanes is not safe or is not possible, drivers should proceed with caution, reduce speed and leave a safe distance between themselves and the stopped vehicle until passing it.

The ISP said in an April 18 press release there were 23 reported Scott’s Law-related crashes in 2022, including eight incidents in which officers were injured. The agency has a public dashboard tracking the number of Move Over Law-related crashes, and it says 2021 saw 22 such incidents.

Penalties for violating Scott’s Law

Gov. J.B. Pritzker amended Scott’s Law in 2019 to increase minimum fines to $250 for a first violation and $750 for subsequent violations, with a maximum fine of $10,000.

A driver who violates the law and damages a person’s vehicle commits a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a license suspension of at least 90 days and no more than one year, in addition to a fine and any other applicable penalties.

An incident resulting in the injury of another commits a Class 4 felony, resulting in a license suspension between 180 days and two years, plus other applicable consequences. A driver whose violation results in a death will have their driving privileges suspended for two years.