Give Them Distance
Illinois transportation, safety and government leaders have teamed up to emphasize the importance of the Move Over Law - a lifesaving initiative - by launching Give Them Distance to educate drivers to slow down and change lanes safely when approaching ANY vehicle with flashing lights.
Whether you’re stranded on the side of the road due to a flat tire or having engine trouble, the Move Over Law is intended to protect ALL OF US.
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What is the Move Over Law?
Effective January 1, 2017, Scott’s Law, also known as the “Move Over” law, was expanded to require passing drivers to slow down and change lanes safely when approaching ANY vehicle with its hazard lights on, not just emergency and maintenance vehicles.
What should I do if I'm stalled or stranded on the side of the road?
The Illinois State Police Department requests that motorists who find themselves stopped on the shoulder for emergencies or car problems,
- Activate hazard lights
- Call *999, if applicable, or other emergency number
- Stay in vehicle with seat belts on
- Wait for an emergency vehicle to arrive on the scene to assist
What should I do when I see a vehicle with flashing lights?
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Learn More
Take Action on Social Media
| Follow Give Them Distance on Facebook |
| Follow Give Them Distance on Twitter |
| Use the Give Them Distance Tool Kit for your social media posts |
Take the Pledge
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Driver Education
Give Them Distance has partnered with the Illinois High School & College Driver Education Association to collaborate with educators throughout the state.
The Give Them Distance campaign better prepares driver education students for situations in which they are approaching a vehicle, as well as when they find themselves stranded on the side of the road. To ensure that the Give Them Distance principles are rooted as core principles of road safety education, educators and administrators can:
- Incorporate this public safety messaging into driver education curriculum and public safety programming
- Ask students to take the “Give Them Distance Pledge”
- Ask students to share the pledge on social media
- Most importantly, ask students to set the example for other drivers to follow: slow down and change lanes safely
Help Spread the Word
Spread this vital message to Illinois drivers, making our roads safer for ALL OF US.
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Take the pledge and share it on social media to make others aware of this important initiative.
How You Can Spread The Word
| Newsletter Articles |
| Social Media Messages |
| Social Media Images |
| Web Resources |
| Print Ready Materials |
| Partner Videos |
| Campaign Logos |
Newsletter Articles
Spread the word to your workplace or organization by copying and pasting the text below into a newsletter.
Give Them Distance: Don’t risk it. Slow down and change lanes
We’ve all been there: pulled over on the side of the road due to a flat tire or engine trouble, cars and trucks speeding past us within only a few feet of our vehicle. This is the difficult and dangerous reality faced by our police officers, first responders, firefighters and roadside workers every day.
A coalition of public safety leaders throughout the state recently launched Give Them Distance, a road safety campaign to educate drivers about Illinois’ Move Over Law.
While drivers may be familiar with the Move Over Law as it applies to emergency vehicles and maintenance workers, many do not know that in Illinois, this law was expanded on January 1, 2017, to require passing drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching any vehicle with hazard lights flashing.
Drivers who fail to comply with the Move Over Law face serious penalties, including:
- Up to a $10,000 fine
- 2-year suspension of driving privileges
- Jail time, in extreme cases
Help us remind everyone of this simple-to-understand road safety message; whenever approaching any vehicle on the side of the road with emergency or hazard lights flashing, drivers should slow down and change lanes safely.
Please visit GiveThemDistance.com to learn more about this important campaign, take the pledge to commit to safer roads, and spread the word on social media.
Social Media Messages
Copy and paste the sample messages below to share on your social media sites.
Like Give Them Distance on Facebook and Twitter, share content or create original messaging with the templates below.
Help this important message go viral!
- Share the facebook.com/givethemdistance posts on your page/timeline.
- Create a new post to your page/timeline by using one of the sample messages below.
- Create your new, custom post. Be sure to include #GiveThemDistance and link to GiveThemDistance.com for more information.
If you see ANY vehicle stopped on the side of the road with flashing lights #GiveThemDistance. Slow down. Change Lanes Safely. #Move Over. It's the law in Illinois.
Be a life-saver. If you see a stopped vehicle on the side of the road with flashing lights, #GiveThemDistance. Slow Down. Change Lanes Safely. #MoveOver. It's the law in Illinois.
Give Them Distance Logo with Tagline
Low-Resolution JPEG File (Web)
High-Resolution JPEG (Print)
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