Illinois State Police and IDOT enforce 'Move Over' law with zero tolerance

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — 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.

"We’ve all heard it, move over and slow down for emergency vehicles on the side of the road with their emergency lights activated," said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. "Despite this, we continue to see crashes, including deadly crashes, because someone refused to move over and slow down. To help end this reckless behavior, we want the public to know that if you fail to move over and slow down in Illinois, you will get a ticket. The days of receiving a warning are over. Move over or get pulled over."

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.

"The main goal of the Move Over Law is to eliminate preventable crashes, injuries, and deaths," said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. "But the easiest way is to please slow down and give plenty of extra distance to people and vehicles on the side of the road. With your help, we can make our highways and streets safer for everyone."

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.