Move Over & Slow Down– Belleville Towing & Recovery
As a nation-wide rule all 50 States have some form of Move Over laws to protect law enforcement, first responders, and those stranded on the roadside. Belleville Towing & Recovery considers safety of utmost importance when it comes to assisting motorists in need 24 hours per day.
The Move Over Law, also known as “Scott’s Law” in the State of Illinois, received its name when Lt. Scott Gillen, a firefighter, was hit and killed by a drunk driver while assisting with a crash in December 2000.
In a former blog post, we revealed that, in 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers found that from 2011 to 2016, the motor vehicle towing industry had a 15 times higher death rate compared to all the other private U.S. industries combined.
On average, two emergency responders per day are fatally or non-fatally struck by passing vehicles according to ResponderSafety.com.
The Law means you follow these three guidelines when you see a vehicle(s) with flashing lights on the side of the road:
- Reduce your speed
- Change lanes if possible
- Proceed with due caution
In 2017, the Law was revised to state that drivers MUST also move over for any commercial vehicles stranded on the roadside with flashing lights; NOT just authorized emergency vehicles.
As of early 2021, the Illinois State Police launched a statewide enforcement effort for troopers to watch closely for anyone disobeying Scott’s Law and distracted driving laws (i.e. texting, internet browsing) while driving. In the first 7 weeks of the year, already 10 squad cards had been hit and 6 officers injured.
Just last month, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker passed a bill that made additional amendments to the Move Over Law. One being that a judge can issue community service plus other fines and penalties. These changes take effect January 1, 2022. Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest said, “writing a check for a fine doesn’t seem to be enough for some people, so we need to do all we can to make sure the purpose of this law is heard loud and clear, and we do that by requiring people to give up their free time to do community service work.”
In 2019, the Illinois State Police recorded that 27 of the 72 squad car crashes were violations of the Move Over Law. That’s close to 40%. The troopers also issued over 10,000 citations and warnings for violating Scott’s Law. This is a solemn reminder that we MUST pay attention and show respect for ALL those we see stranded on the roadside. No matter if it’s law enforcement, an ambulance, a tow truck, stranded vehicles or any other emergency responder.
Our Owner Keith would be very grateful if you share this information with your family, friends, and any others who are not aware of the importance of Move Over or Slow Down guidelines. There are sources listed directly below with more information about the Scott’s Law; it’s history, revisions, application for all drivers, and consequences for those in violation of the rules.
External Sources-
https://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/1-163.pdf
https://www.kwqc.com/2021/02/21/additional-enforcement-of-scotts-law-coming-in-illinois/
https://www2.illinois.gov/IISNews/22793-ISP_Move_Over_Task_Force_Report_Press_Release.pdf
https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09005/move_over.htm
https://newschannel20.com/news/local/scotts-law-crashes-severely-outpacing-2020-numbers