SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Police (ISP) reminds motorists of Scott’s Law which increases the penalties for drivers who fail to yield to emergency vehicles or cause accidents or injury to public safety or service personnel at roadside emergency scenes. Offenders can expect to be fined up to $10,000 and have their driver’s license suspended for up to two years.
ISP Director Sam W. Nolen said, "Each day, law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency response personnel, and highway workers encounter situations which place their lives in jeopardy while protecting the citizens of Illinois. This legislation helps to ensure that they can perform those duties out of harm’s way."
Penalties for violating Scott’s Law include:
a fine of not more than $10,000 suspension of driving privileges for a period of up to a year but not less than 90 days for damaging another person’s property suspension of driving privileges for a period of not less than180 days but no more than two years for injuring another person a two-year suspension of driving privileges for causing the death of another person.
The ISP encourages motorists to follow these precautions when approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights activated:
Slow down and proceed with caution. Yield the right-of-way by changing into a lane not immediately adjacent to the emergency vehicle. Be prepared to pull over to the right-hand side of the roadway and stop if directed to do so. Be watchful of the movement of emergency personnel and equipment. Nolen advised the legislation applies to all vehicles displaying flashing lights, including highway maintenance vehicles. | 
