The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association has announced the 2019 Officer Safety and Scott’s Law Safety Initiative, a traffic awareness campaign to teach departments across the state how to protect their deputies and other road-side emergency assistance workers. Scott’s Law mandates that upon approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, when the authorized emergency vehicle is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing red and blue lights or amber or yellow warning lights, a person who drives an approaching vehicle must proceed with due caution and yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle, if possible. If not possible, they must proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle, and maintain a safe speed for road conditions. Scott’s Law is named after Chicago Fire Lt. Scott Gillen, who was killed when a drunken driver struck him as he assisted a crash in 2000. The campaign will run from April 12 to 19.
