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Illinois Scott’s Law became effective on January 1, 2026. Under this law, Illinois drivers must yield to authorized emergency vehicles with flashing lights. This applies regardless of whether the emergency vehicle is moving or stopped. Further, the law requires drivers to yield to emergency workers and pedestrians involved in an emergency.

Scott’s Law is relevant to both ticket issues and potential injury claims, particularly when an accident involves a driver who failed to move or slow down near an emergency scene. In these situations, it is important that you contact an abogado experto en lesiones personales Illinois to discuss your rights and remedies. 

Illinois Move Over Law Requirements When Emergency Vehicles Are Passing By or Stopped 

Scott’s Law still includes the classic move over approach for stationary emergency vehicles with flashing lights. When traffic conditions allow, the safest approach is to change lanes into a lane not adjacent to the emergency vehicle, along with a speed reduction that matches the road and traffic conditions.

This duty remains even when lane changes are unsafe or seemingly impossible. For example, many at-fault drivers argue that stretches on I-90, I-94, I-290, I-55, and I-80 make it impossible to safely move over. In these situations, Illinois drivers are expected to reduce their speed, proceed with caution, and leave a safe distance until passing an accident scene.

Although many people associate Scott’s Law with law enforcement vehicles, the rule applies to a broader range of emergency vehicles. For instance, some authorized emergency vehicles include fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, and others with flashing, oscillating, or rotating lights.

How to Comply With Scott’s Law on Local Roads

Compliance with Scott’s Law was designed to address the real-time reactions that drivers often experience. The following list includes some basic expectations of the law:

• Reduce your speed when you approach a potential emergency scene; and
• Change lanes away from the emergency vehicle.

Proceeding with caution and watching for people around lane shoulders is key. These steps also reduce the risk of a secondary collision, which is often when severe injuries occur due to high-speed differentials and limited escape space near the shoulder.

What are the penalties under Scott’s Law?

Scott’s Law penalties can escalate quickly, particularly when a violation leads to property damage, injury, or death. The statute provides a fine range for a first violation and a higher minimum fine for a second or subsequent violation, with the upper limit set at $10,000.

Separate provisions address license suspensions when a violation results in property damage, injury, or death, and the suspension periods increase with the severity of the outcome. 

The statute also provides for criminal classifications in certain crash outcomes tied to violations involving stationary authorized emergency vehicles, which is one reason roadside incidents can become serious legal problems in a hurry.

Pieces of Evidence to Preserve After a Move-Over Crash

After a roadside crash, medical care comes first, and evidence preservation usually follows close behind. The items below often help clarify what happened, especially when the emergency scene changed quickly after impact.

• Medical records and follow-up treatments, including any imaging and discharge paperwork.
• Photos showing lane positions, shoulder space, lighting conditions, skid marks, and activated emergency lights when it is safe to document.
• Witness names and contact information, along with the time and location of the crash.
• Video sources such as dash cameras, nearby business cameras, and vehicle event data, when applicable.

Towing, repair, rental, and rideshare receipts are tied to the crash and the resulting disruption. Evidence can disappear fast after a highway incident, so early steps often help avoid later disputes about basic facts.

Why the 2026 Expansion Has Real Safety Urgency

A statewide Move Over Task Force report described 27 Scott’s Law-related crashes involving the Illinois State Police in 2019, along with two trooper deaths, and it also reported 15 Scott’s Law-related crashes involving the Illinois State Police in 2020.

Those numbers help explain why the law continues to draw attention from enforcement agencies and safety advocates. Roadside scenes create a tight corridor where small driving choices can have enormous consequences, particularly at highway speeds and in poor visibility.

A traffic citation is only one part of what an injured person may face after a roadside crash. When a driver violates a safety statute and causes harm, that violation can become meaningful evidence in an injury claim, although liability still depends on what caused the crash and what the proof shows.

For example, the key questions often include whether emergency lights were activated, where the vehicles were positioned, whether traffic conditions made a lane change feasible, and how fast the passing driver was traveling. 

Contact Briskman Briskman and Greenberg Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyers

Accident claims involving emergency situations and vehicles can involve a complex interplay of traffic, civil, and sometimes criminal law. In these cases, it is important that victims and their loved ones consulte con un abogado de lesiones personales Illinois as soon as possible. Contact an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer at Briskman Briskman & by calling Greenberg (312) 222-0010.