Driving in Illinois and passing vehicles with flashing lights

"She was rear-ended by a drunk driver at over 100 mph"

Okay, there is a reason for the police helping a person, but pull the "Offenders" over at a rest area or a exit or something else where it does not affect the other drivers. Thats what I said earlier.

Don't make me the bad guy because I think about solving the "Whole" problem. Well except for the times where people are broke down or what have you.

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by Jason Fuller

"She was rear-ended by a drunk driver at over 100 mph"

Okay, there is a reason for the police helping a person, but pull the "Offenders" over at a rest area or a exit or something else where it does not affect the other drivers. Thats what I said earlier.

Don't make me the bad guy because I think about solving the "Whole" problem. Well except for the times where people are broke down or what have you.

Jason...I 've been told that Ed has a big fat ***...

[Marty Buth]

Jason,

You are out of line with your comments. Put your self in the shoes of the police officers and other emergency workers before you make blanket statements that are totally incorrect. My son in law is a police officer and he doesn't resemble any of the names you threw around with no respect.

[Jim Wahl]

This is also the law in Florida. In my 33 years as a Firefighter/Paramedic I saw 7 Police officers and 5 Firefighters killed by a passing motorist who hit or clipped them while they were trying to help someone. This is a huge and growing problem and slowing down and moving over is not much to ask to possibly save a life! Get your priorities straight Jason! Jim

[Stewart Way]

Very good law. My son watches a lot of the Cop shows and he has pointed out several accidents where drivers seem to be drawn like flies to the flashing lights and hit the officer or car. About a year ago in Atlanta they played a video on the news from a dash cam of an officer getting clipped while standing by a car talking to the driver. Hit and run but I think they eventually cought the guy. No broken bones but battered and bruised. Just a matter of inches.

[Dan Bennett]

It's a good law.

I thought it was interesting in the original article that the ticketed couple from Clayton, MO were so offended and surprised at there being such a law. Missouri has had the law about a year longer than Illinois.

Clayton is very much yuppieland so it didn't surprise me that the vehicle was a Lexus SUV.

[Dave Goob Cook]

Same law in Indiana for several years.....
It ain't brain surgery.

Indiana State Troopers do have a nasty habit of leaving their vehicles partially in the lane too, but DEAL WITH IT!
If you're paying attention, and not tailgating something you can't see around, it's pretty darn simple.

[Angela Macy]

I've noticed troopers doing that too here in NC Goob, kind of - they park their car about 4 feet out from the car they've pulled over, sometimes this causes them to be in the road partially. I think their theory is they'd rather a person hit their patrol car and have the patrol car forced into them, rather than be hit by the car who is running off the road completely. Maybe if the car running off the road hits their patrol car, it may slow the cars down the split second it takes them to get out of the way. Still a risk of getting hurt or injuried, but maybe not quite as badly. I've even noticed the troopers going to the passenger side of the car now adays instead of the drivers side.

And agreed, something about the flashing lights seems to draw people to that area. Another case in Northern North Carolina a year or two ago - car had broke down the night before, group of people are well off the side of the road pushing broke down car onto a trailer - woman blasts through their in her SUV, runs off the road and runs over them all over and killed all of them - 4-6 people I think. They charged her with vehicular manslaughter and if I recall correctly she was sentenced a few months back - I forget what exactly that sentence was, very lenient but she thought it was too much. I'm not sure I ever heard exactly what caused the woman to run off the road, but inattentiveness most likely was the culprit. I guess her theory was that just because she didn't intend to kill the people she shouldn't be held accountable for her actions.

[Dave Goob Cook]

Originally Posted by 1664SSJA

We leave the car out in the lane a bit to protect ourselves AND the car being stopped. If someone is going to hit the cruiser, They are too close and will hit the Trooper. That is how we were making stops 20 years ago as there were too many close calls.

And yes........ it is also Troopers call on where he wants to come up on the vehicle..... (Driver vs. Pass side) and that depends on the type of stop, and on how many occupants you have in vehicle being stopped........ a little bit of "gut" feeling also.... I would prefer Pass side if car is unoccupied on that side, ( for an Interstate stop only)but again......... it depends on the stop.

I have no problem with it, you just have to pay attention......
No way I'd want to stand out on the road dealing with an idiot either.

When I have been stopped, I also do my part to keep both of us out of harm's way as much as possible. I go to the grass.
I even escaped a ticket one day on a City M/C radar stop because I backed up about 150 feet so the officer wouldn't have to walk up to me, or move his M/C up to me. He told me that the manner in which I treated the stop showed good character and thanked me....

[Ed Wright]

Same law now in Oklahoma.