Illinois State Police Leads Nation in Move Over Crash Safety with New Early Alert System
Partnership with Google Public Sector makes ISP one of the first law enforcement agencies to provide move over crash notification in Waze and Google Maps
October 2, 2024
CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan F. Kelly announced a new notification system to help reduce the number of crashes caused when drivers fail to move over for vehicles with flashing emergency lights. To help prevent troopers and drivers from being injured while stopped along the interstate, ISP and the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) partnered with Google Public Sector to develop a real-time, GPS-based alert to inform drivers of ISP traffic activity on the road, urging them to slow down and move over.
“The men and women of the Illinois State Police provide an invaluable service in keeping our highways safe, and we owe them every possible effort to ensure that safety is extended to them as well,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The tragic accidents that have injured and killed Illinois State Police officers cannot become an expected hazard of the job. Illinois drivers—slow down, pay attention, and help our law enforcement officers stay safe while they save lives.”
"This new alert system is a critical step in keeping our roads safer for both law enforcement officers and drivers," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "By using real-time technology to help prevent ‘Move Over’ crashes, we’re not only protecting those who protect us but also ensuring a safer driving experience for everyone in Illinois."
ISP is one of the first law enforcement agencies in the country to provide real-time GPS-based traffic information to help prevent what are commonly referred to as ‘Move Over’ crashes. The Move Over Law, also known as Scott's Law in Illinois, requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching stationary emergency vehicles, including all highway maintenance vehicles displaying flashing lights, and any stationary vehicle with their hazard lights activated.
“Too many Illinois State Police officers have been killed or injured in ‘Move Over’ crashes,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “In our determination to protect our troopers and prevent ‘Move Over’ crashes anyway we can, ISP partnered with the Department of Innovation & Technology and Google Public Sector on a real-time notification system that warns people of traffic issues ISP is handling on the road ahead. The advanced warning gives people time to slow down and move over, reducing the risk of a crash for both drivers and troopers.”
To alert drivers to slow down and move over, a message about a crash, traffic stop, motorist assist, or debris in the roadway is generated by ISP. That message, along with the officer’s GPS coordinates are fed to Google Cloud where it is transformed and sent to Waze. As drivers approach the GPS location of the ISP trooper, they will see a police, crash, or disabled vehicle icon on the screen of their map and receive an alert to slow down and move over. Similar icons will appear on Google Maps in the coming weeks.
“The collaboration between DoIT, ISP, and Google Public Sector represents a significant milestone in leveraging innovative technology to protect both drivers and law enforcement officers,” said Illinois DoIT Secretary and Chief Information Officer Sanjay Gupta. “By providing real-time notifications to drivers about police presence on the roadway shoulder, we are improving the safety of the driving environment for everyone. We are proud to be at the forefront of this solution.”
“Our partnership with the Illinois State Police is a pivotal step toward enhancing road safety and protecting those who protect us,” said Brad Hoffman, Director, State & Local Government and Education at Google Public Sector. “By routing incident information through Google Cloud to populate in Waze and Google Maps, we can help ensure drivers are better informed and attentive when approaching road incidents. We applaud the Illinois State Police and Gov. Pritzker for taking a proactive approach to preventing 'Move Over' crashes and safeguarding the lives of those who serve and protect communities across the state.”
This advanced warning application was created to help protect troopers working the highways. Since 2019, two ISP troopers have been killed, nine seriously injured, and 51 others injured in Move Over crashes.
On January 12, 2019, Trooper Christopher Lambert was handling a crash on I-294. Trooper Lambert was outside his vehicle with his emergency lights on when a vehicle failed to slow down and Trooper Lambert was killed.
On March 28, 2019, Trooper Brooke Jones-Story was conducting a motor carrier safety inspection on U.S. Route 20. Trooper Jones-Story was outside of her vehicle with the emergency lights on when another semi-truck hit her squad car. Trooper Jones-Story was killed as a result.
This new notification system will help drivers see in advance the locations where ISP is handling a crash or other traffic activity, warning people to slow down and move over.
More information boanois’ Scott’s Law can be found on the ISP website, as well as a Scott’s Law dashboard that includes information and data about ISP crashes.
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