Driving in Illinois and passing vehicles with flashing lights

[art leong]

Georgia has the same law.

[Angela Macy]

North Carolina has this law (as mentioned above) and has for several years now. I see very very few people who don't abide by it now that most everyone is aware of the law. It's actually a shame that it even has to be a law - you'd think people would have enough common curtosey and concern for law enforcement and those who they have pulled over safety to do it anyways. NC expaned the law to include other vehicles beyond law enforcement as well.

There has been two different situations in the Greensboro area within the last year or two that I know of on I-85 and I-40 - cars break down and are on the shoulder - waiting for assistance from a tow truck or whoever. Another vehicle comes blasting through the area, not paying attention, runs off onto the shoulder and hits the stranded car, killing the people inside of it. Clearly the person was not paying attention, they should have moved over or slowed down if they couldn't move over. Watch enough Amazing Videos or COPS on TV and you'll see this happen all the time.

Last year we had an emergency situation with me while heading to Mooresville and had to pull over on the shoulder of I-85. It was infuritating how many people who had an opportunity to move over but choose NOT to - we're setting there completely stopped and a foot from us they come flying through at 70mph. It was a butt puckering situation to say the least.

Anyhoo, the law enforcement would much rather people just abide this law then them have to write them a ticket, and within a reasonable period of time once everyone in Illinois is aware of the law, you'll see very few people not moving over.

[Rob Petrie E395]

This got fired up here in southern IL again just in the last year or so. About 10 miles south of Mt Vernon IL there was a tractor trailer fire on the side of Interstate 57. The fire was out and a fireman was rolling up hose when a Greyhound bus ran over the fireman. The bus drivers trial is coming up soon so we will see what happens then. If you are on 57 or 64 in Southern IL make sure you pull over or slow way way way down or you are going to at least get a severe *** chewing. I have not read of anybody getting a ticket for it in the paper lately and they usually print every BS ticket they can print. As for the Law I see it this way. As a shop owner with a Tow truck I tow off of 57 and 64 regularlly in fact as you look out the shop window you can see 64 thats how close we are, so we get some towing business from it. I like the idea of the law to try to make it safer for me and my employees while towing a car. But I really dont think it doing a damn thing to get people to slow down and pay attention to what they are doing. In my oponion this law will end up like most in that its on the books but rarely does any body pay for breaking it as usually its just thrown out or reduced to nothing unless sombody gets severly injured. It will be just like drunk driving around here unless you kill somebody or do it more than 2-3 times in a short period of time its pay the fine and back in the car.

[Angela Macy]

Rob, I understand and agree with your theory that most laws like this are BS in the eyes of the court and will get reduced to nothing. However, I think this law will actually open drivers eyes to potential unsafe situations that they may have never thought of before. Unless you've been on the side of the road before stranded, you may not realize how scary it is to be there and have a car fly past you. I'm basing this opinion on the fact that most people didn't move over prior to this law being implemented in NC, but now they do. I don't think the people are moving over now because they're afraid of getting a ticket, I think they are moving over because they realize the potential dangers of not doing so.

I have heard in NC that a new law is being implemented in July that you will receive a fine if caught talking on your cell phone and driving. Which I am guilty of doing, like most of us are I'm sure. I realize its a safety hazard, so I'm going to refrain from talking on my phone while driving, not because I'm afraid of being fined, but because I'm afraid of being involved in an accident because I wasn't being as attentive as I should have been. It it scary how inattentive we can get behind the wheel of a vehicle and how easily we forget the damage that can be done by a moving vehicle.

[John Kelley]

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.

You just keep digging a BIGGER hole.......give it UP !!

And "dieing" is DYING...........did you flunk spelling ??? :-)

[david ring]

The first time I encountered such a law was in Wyoming about 8 years ago. I thought that what the law was trying to get us to do was such a good idea that I adopted the behavior where ever I'm driving, whether the state has the law or not. Except if I see that Ed Fernandez on the side of the road, then I'm just going to run him over!

[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.