Latest news with #ScottGillen
Business Wire
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Illinois American Water Reminds Motorists to Move Over for Safety
BELLEVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the National Safety Council's National Safety Month ends, Illinois American Water reminds motorists to move over for safety. Throughout June, Illinois American Water employees were featured on the company's Facebook page through the social media #moveover campaign. Posts highlighted Scott's Law and the importance of moving over for law enforcement, emergency, utility and other vehicles displaying warning lights. Moving over doesn't just protect us—it also protects motorists. At the end of the day, we all share the same goal: to get home safely. Share Scott's Law, 625 ILCS 5/11-907(c), is a mandatory move over law in the state of Illinois. The law requires all motorists to move over when encountering stopped or disabled vehicles displaying warning lights. Since 2000, all fifty states have enacted some form of a 'Move Over' law. Illinois expanded the 'Move Over' requirements to motorists with their hazard lights activated along highways. Scott's Law was named in honor of Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while assisting at a crash on a Chicago Expressway. When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle that is displaying or flashing warning lights, Illinois motorists must: Slow down Drive with caution Move over to another lane Reduce speed if changing lanes is unsafe When entering a highway construction area, Illinois law requires motorists to: Slow down Discontinue wireless use Yield or change lanes away from any authorized vehicles or workers in the area Laron Cole, a field service representative in Illinois American Water's Granite City service area, participated in the company's #moveover campaign to remind motorists that behind every utility worker are loved ones who want them to return home safely at the end of each day. Cole said, 'We understand the work we do can cause temporary inconvenience and disrupt traffic. That's why we work as quickly and safely as possible to restore services and return roadways to normal. We never take shortcuts which could compromise safety. Our friends and neighbors can help by slowing down and moving over when they see us working.' He added 'Moving over doesn't just protect us—it also protects motorists. At the end of the day, we all share the same goal: to get home safely.' To learn more about Illinois American Water's commitment to safety, please visit About American Water American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's 6,700 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram. About Illinois American Water Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Move over or get pulled over': Illinois State Police reiterate no-tolerance policy
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Illinois State Police troopers are reiterating their no-tolerance policy for drivers who don't move over for law enforcement and emergency vehicles. Commonly referred to as Scott's Law in Illinois after Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Scott Gillen, who was hit and killed while responding to a traffic accident 25 years ago. 'Every motorist is required to get over and slow down in the other lane upon approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing,' said Sergeant Wes Matarelli. 'That could be a law enforcement vehicle, it could be a fire truck, it could be an ambulance, any EMS personnel.' Vehicles the law applies to can be found under the Illinois Vehicle Code. Matarelli explains why this is being broadcasted right now. 'For years and years we've been advocating this law, telling people to move over, slow down,' he said. 'This is nothing new. But we're still consistently getting in crashes, crashes that involve serious injuries to our first responders and our troopers. We're not changing the law. We're just stating that now we are going to be writing tickets, not warnings.' Violators could be fined $250-$10,000, and if there is injury or death of another person, it's a felony and a possible driving suspension of up to two years. Just this year, there have been five Move-Over crashes, four of which involved a trooper being injured. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
