IDOT workers fed up with drivers breaking Scott's Law - WGEM
QUINCY (WGEM) - Following an incident Thursday morning when a driver sideswiped an Illinois Department of Transportation truck, road workers at IDOT said these situations are too commonplace for their safety.
While no one was hurt, the driver was ticketed for failing to yield to a stationary emergency vehicle (under Scott’s Law) and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. This wake-up call provoked IDOT workers to send a message.
On Friday morning, IDOT set up their trucks on Interstate 72 to see if drivers would follow the rules. In the 10 minutes they were parked, four cars didn’t move over or slow down.
“We’re on the interstate here, so they’re going back 65, 70 miles an hour and you can feel the vacuum of the vehicles as they move by,” said Andy Schoonover, IDOT District 6 supervising construction field engineer. “Especially if they’ve got a trailer or something, it’ll pull you toward traffic.”
Highway maintainer Tray Allensworth said working on roads, particularly busy interstates, has led to one-too-many close calls for him, especially as people are on their phones and not paying attention.
“I’d say about 50% of the day is us having to watch our backs for vehicles that are not getting over, speeding by, stuff like that,” Allensworth said. “There was one time I was doing the paddles and someone wasn’t watching any of the signs, came up really fast and before I knew it, he blew right past me, locked up all his tires and back up.”
Schoonover said roadwork doesn’t end in the winter and now plow drivers will have to be on the lookout.
“We have multiple incidents every year with interactions with motorists and plow drivers with plows being hit and motorists having accidents,” Schoonover said.
From the State of Illinois State Police:
Scott’s Law, 625 ILCS 5/11- 907(c), mandates that upon approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, when the authorized emergency vehicle is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing red, red and white, blue, or red and blue lights or amber or yellow warning lights, a person who drives an approaching vehicle shall: MOVE OVER. SLOW DOWN FOR STOPPED EMERGENCY OR MAINTENANCE VEHICLES. IT’S THE LAW.
Fines can lead up to $10,000 and/or a two-year license suspension.
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source: https://www.wgem.com/2021/12/18/idot-workers-fed-up-with-drivers-breaking-scotts-law/
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