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Old 01-19-2011, 10:38 PM
 
9 posts, read 25,817 times
Reputation: 11

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Quote:
Originally Posted by zbob99 View Post
I received a Scott's Law (Move Over Law) ticket yesterday on I-64 near Mt Vernon. The trooper's vehicle was stopped, well off on the side of the road, with lights flashing, no other cars around or any people around -- it did not look like an emergency situation. I normally slow down and move to an alternate lane if the situation looks hazardous but this one did not. I just thought this was some sort of "friendly" warning to keep to the speed limit, which I did. Also, I try to minimize lane changing for safety reasons.

I have never heard of this law and I am from Maryland where we do NOT have this law. No excuse, I know, but it still seems terribly unfair to expect outsiders to be familiar with this new law.

Illinois also seems to use this law abusively and actually sets traps to catch unaware motorists like me. This trooper was clearly not doing anything emergency related. He was just sitting there with lights flashing for no reason except as an entrapment setup.

The penalties are also outrageous. Mandatory requirement of a court appearance is unfair especially for out-of-towners like me. Also the fines are excessive --$150 to well over $300. Also, a person's license can be revoked and it can affect insurance rates? It is really unbelievable how overzealous the IL police and courts are pushing this.

I agree in principle with the spirit of the law but the aggressive style of enforcement is abusive, unfair and wrong. Anyway I have this ticket and a court date in January. I cannot afford to take time off from work and fly back to Illinois for court appearance. Some have suggested hiring a lawyer. I am totally distressed about this. Anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks.

Bob
This is the same state that pulls the no-refusal DUI nonsense, which is a blatant Fifth Amendment violation.
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Old 01-20-2011, 03:24 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,088 times
Reputation: 10
I think it is smug to say you have not had a speeding ticket in over thirty years. Since the economy has taken a turn for the worse and IL is practically bankrupt (Many gas stations in IL will not even accept IL State Police credit cards) I know many people who state that they were given a speeding ticket unjustly. I have not had a speeding ticket since 1991. That does not speak in any way of my quality of driving. I might just be lucky or might be careful. Doesn't really indicate either way. The IL police are writing many more tickets than they did before the downturn of the economy and I believe the stretch of I-57 between Mt. Vernon and I-24 is particularly a hot spot for cops writing tickets.
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Old 01-20-2011, 04:10 PM
 
Location: Not where you ever lived
11,535 posts, read 30,254,914 times
Reputation: 6426
Don't mix apples and oranges. Nof having a speeding ticket in 29 years is not smug; it is a fact. It has much more to do with my foot and not speeding than it does econonmy. If you break the law you reap the reward.

The new laws are even more prudeent. No CELLPHONE while driving in any school zone 7am to 4pm M-F. The first violation is $150. The second violation takes your license for a year plus a $500 fine.

If I-57 was a problem to me, which it is not, I would avoid it. Illinois is blessed with many state routes and county byways. I am sure I could find an alternate route. The inconvenience would be minor compared to the financial loss of a speeding ticket. .

.
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Old 07-22-2013, 01:26 AM
 
1 posts, read 1,623 times
Reputation: 10
I was on my way home from a very hard day at work and about a half a mile down the highway I55N there was a cop with his lights on off the right shoulder, but no one other than the cars coming down the highway were anywhere near him, but I proceeded to try and get into the left lane. The other car next to me wouldn't budge so I slowed down to 50 and tried again and still the other car wouldn't let me in so I had no choice since it was only a 2 lane road, but to slow down a slight bit more and pass the cop in the right lane. About a minute later I looked in my rear view mirror and realized someone was very quickly coming up behind me and just before the car almost smacked my bumper, he turned on his lights. I was more petrified at the fact that he almost nailed me then the fact that I was being pulled over.

So, of course I was stunned to realize I was being pulled over. He came over to my passenger window and I tried to ask him what was the problem he said, "When there is an emergency vehicle with their lights on you need to slow down and get into the other lane." So I told him I couldn't move into the other lane because of the car next to me and he didn't even want to hear it. So I asked him if I was getting a ticket and he said I was and proceeded to write me up a $120 ticket. When he came back with the ticket he also said "I was going to take your licence as bond, but you never know when you're going to need a photo ID." I was like "Wait..Why would you take my licence anyways...?" and again he acted like he didn't care and told me to sign the ticket and go on my way.

Honestly, I never knew about Scott's Law and I went to Driving school, where they never taught that, just last year. I understand and agree with the law, but as I stated I couldn't go into the other lane without putting my life at risk. And for the cop to almost nail me just to give me a ticket is completely scary and not to mention dangerous! I mean how would you feel if a cop tried to almost hit you??? I really think I shouldn't have been given a ticket seeing as though the cop tried to kill me just to give me a ticket for something I couldn't control! I read the whole law about this and it says "Pull over IF you can" I don't know what to do...
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Old 07-22-2013, 10:34 AM
 
Location: Not where you ever lived
11,535 posts, read 30,254,914 times
Reputation: 6426
Understand: Scott's Law was written to protect the lives of ALL emergency personnel that are stopped on the side of road. Why X was there, and why he/she did or did not _____ is immaterial, moot, and won't hold water in any Illinois court. You broke the law when you passed the vehicle.

What to do? (a)Signal to merge and slowly reduce speed until you can. (b) Pull off the highway and wait for a break in traffic. (c) If neither is an option: enable your vehicle emergency lights (it blinks rapidly) and continue to slow as you pull as far left in your lane as safely possible. Then proceed slowly past the stopped emergency vehicle.
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Old 07-23-2013, 10:20 AM
 
211 posts, read 394,715 times
Reputation: 74
Illinois State Police is probably the least scrutinized taxpayer supported agency in the state. Nobody checks on that agency. That is a bad thing. There some kind of strange thing going on with the computer information they can access and enter into their computer system. First, it is TOTAL. They have EVERYTHING. They are in charge of issuing FOID cards). There is something going on with what an individual trooper can enter for other troopers to see upon a traffic stop. Let me put it this way. I am glad I don't have any angry trooper as an ex or one with a personal gripe against me.

There needs to be much greater CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT in the entire system involving the issuance of FOID CARDS. The Illinois State Police should not be running that entire operation.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zbob99 View Post
The penalties are also outrageous. Mandatory requirement of a court appearance is unfair especially for out-of-towners like me. Also the fines are excessive --$150 to well over $300. Also, a person's license can be revoked and it can affect insurance rates? It is really unbelievable how overzealous the IL police and courts are pushing this.

I agree in principle with the spirit of the law but the aggressive style of enforcement is abusive, unfair and wrong. Anyway I have this ticket and a court date in January. I cannot afford to take time off from work and fly back to Illinois for court appearance. Some have suggested hiring a lawyer. I am totally distressed about this. Anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks.

Bob
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Old 07-23-2013, 01:57 PM
 
Location: Not where you ever lived
11,535 posts, read 30,254,914 times
Reputation: 6426
The only civilian oversight is in the state legislature which is __________.
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Old 07-28-2013, 03:22 PM
 
Location: North Carolina
2,657 posts, read 8,030,841 times
Reputation: 4361
Any other advice about situations that will bring the cops down on you along I-64? I'll be making a trip back to the Collinsville area (from NC) this fall to visit family. We've been gone from there for 20+ years now (reading about this makes me ever more glad to be gone ) and only get back to visit every 3 or 4 years; more often now that some family members are getting old. I don't want to make some FUBAR move that will land LEO on me like a brick from 10 stories up And we do have the same "move over" laws in NC, but the police show more latitude about interpreting the reason for not getting over far enough and don't automatically slam a driver with an onerous charge.

Jeezus, a number of my family lines settled western Illinois not long after Lewis and Clark passed through, so my roots go deep. However, I'm not sorry to be gone
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Old 07-28-2013, 07:00 PM
 
Location: Not where you ever lived
11,535 posts, read 30,254,914 times
Reputation: 6426
1- Do not exceed the posted speed limit.
2. Do not drive and cell talk/dial/browse
3. Guns and ammo should be cased and not in reach of driver or passenger(s).
4. Do not drive under the influence.
5. Do not tailgate. Leave space between you and the car in front.
6. Do not cruise in the passing lane.
7. Pull to the side of the road and stop for emergency vehicles.
8. Scott's Law is expensive. If you can't move over and merge, then pull off and stop until you can.
9. Be aware of road conditions, and construction zone speed limits. NO cell in construction zones for any reason - its the law.
0. Be in control of your vehicle at all times.
1. If you receive a cell call that is an emergency -- stop and talk.
2. IL is slowly moving toward a "no cell while driving" law.
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Old 07-29-2013, 01:54 PM
 
Location: All Over
4,003 posts, read 6,096,810 times
Reputation: 3162
Quote:
Originally Posted by zbob99 View Post
I received a Scott's Law (Move Over Law) ticket yesterday on I-64 near Mt Vernon. The trooper's vehicle was stopped, well off on the side of the road, with lights flashing, no other cars around or any people around -- it did not look like an emergency situation. I normally slow down and move to an alternate lane if the situation looks hazardous but this one did not. I just thought this was some sort of "friendly" warning to keep to the speed limit, which I did. Also, I try to minimize lane changing for safety reasons.

I have never heard of this law and I am from Maryland where we do NOT have this law. No excuse, I know, but it still seems terribly unfair to expect outsiders to be familiar with this new law.

Illinois also seems to use this law abusively and actually sets traps to catch unaware motorists like me. This trooper was clearly not doing anything emergency related. He was just sitting there with lights flashing for no reason except as an entrapment setup.

The penalties are also outrageous. Mandatory requirement of a court appearance is unfair especially for out-of-towners like me. Also the fines are excessive --$150 to well over $300. Also, a person's license can be revoked and it can affect insurance rates? It is really unbelievable how overzealous the IL police and courts are pushing this.

I agree in principle with the spirit of the law but the aggressive style of enforcement is abusive, unfair and wrong. Anyway I have this ticket and a court date in January. I cannot afford to take time off from work and fly back to Illinois for court appearance. Some have suggested hiring a lawyer. I am totally distressed about this. Anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks.

Bob
yeah this is a stupid law. i think its kinda common sense and common courtesy to scoot a lane over when anyone is on the side of the road whetehr its a cop or someone changing a tire, however its not always possible if you have traffic to your left or come upon them really quickly.

i got pulled over for this once while smoking a bowl, had no idea why i was pulled over but was quite scared lol. guy didnt let me off with a warning either but he couldn't find my weed so i felt the winner of the day
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