Despite less traffic, thousands cited for breaking Move Over law

(The Center Square) – Illinois’ first annual Move Over Report says state policies should be strengthened to better protect first responders and travelers who have parked off the side of the roadway.

Created by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019, the Move Over Task Force released their first report not only analyzing the state’s instances of violators but with suggestions for changes to the state’s policies that could stem accidents.

“It really is about ‘right here and now, what can we do to prevent one of these tragedies from occurring’ because it’s a human being out there on the side of the road,” said Sgt. Christopher Watson with the Illinois State Police.

Watson says the state should continue to educate drivers about the small choices they make on the roadways that can have life-altering repercussions.

“Those choices, even though small, have the potential to have huge impacts,” he said.

Pritzker formed the task force in 2019 by executive order after the roadside deaths of Illinois State Police Troopers Brooke Jones Storey and Christopher Lambert.

“Our troopers and first responders put their lives on the line every single day in service to communities across Illinois. Ensuring these brave men and women are able to do their job safely and return home unharmed is a top priority for my administration which is why I created the Move Over Task Force in my first year in office,” Pritzker said.

He said the report is an important step forward in our work to protect troopers and emergency responders on Illinois roadways.

For 2020, the report found total convictions and citations resulting in court supervision were down. From January through November, 501 convictions were entered, down from 1,342 in 2019. Courts imposed 1,223 orders of supervision compared to 4,392 in 2019.

While the drop is promising, it’s likely due to the pandemic keeping nearly every other vehicle off the roadways. A spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation said the annual report showing just how many fewer drivers hit Illinois’ roads had yet to be released for 2020 but they estimate the first months of the pandemic had half of the normal drivers.

ISP also compiles instances of when Trooper vehicles are struck on the roadway. As of Feb. 1, five squad cars have been struck.

“While progress has been made and public awareness has increased regarding Move Over laws, the daily threat to all first responders remains far too high,” Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said. “The good work of this task force advances the cause of protecting roadside first responders, but there is still more work to be done.”

Scott’s Law has been in effect since January of 2002.

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