State Launches Campaign To Promote 'Move Over' Law Awareness
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The state has begun a new motorist awareness campaign due to drivers ignoring Scott's Law.
Also known as the "Move Over" Law, Scott's Law mandates that when approaching police or other emergency vehicle stopped along the roadway, you must proceed with caution and change lanes when possible.
The law has been in affect for 15 years, but state officials say too many motorists are ignoring emergency flashing lights on highways. Therefore, Gov. Bruce Rauner joined Illinois Tollway officials Wednesday to launch "Give Them Distance," a campaign promoting Move Over Law awareness.
"If you see flashing lights, please just move over. You can't believe how much that helps," said State Police Director Leo Schmitz, urging people to slow down and move to another lane instead of whizzing past an emergency vehicle or a broken down car along the highway.
Rauner says it's the difference between being safe and possible death.
LISTEN: "If you see any type of flashing lights, slow down, move down, change lanes and give them distance. That's the bottom line."
Officials only had to look to Tuesday night for an example, when a motorist did not move to a safe lane and rammed into two police cars at a traffic stop on the Jane Addams Tollway.
Tollway worker John Wagner knows that feeling all too well.
"We had stopped on the Jane Addams Memorial Highway to do some work behind the guardrail, and as both of us had just stepped over the guardrail, we were about two-feet away from our truck, when it got hit by a distracted driver."
Motorists who ignore the law face up to a $10,000 fine, a two-year suspension of their driver's license and possible jail time.
