Driver’s Ed programs putting emphasis on importance of Scott’s Law

By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com

The message is getting through loud and clear.

Brianna Suits and her peers at St. Joseph-Ogden are talking about it.

So are Mahomet-Seymour teen-agers Addi Jones and Avery Seaman.

Scott’s Law is one they carry in their minds as they operate vehicles.

Suits learned about it in the driver’s education classroom.

“Scott’s Law was definitely a point of emphasis, but it didn’t fully click until we put it into practice both in behind-the-wheel and the permit phase,” Suits said. “Before the class, I just thought it was common courtesy to move over for stopped vehicles, but the class reinforced the idea that it wasn’t just a suggestion, it was the law.”

It was first enacted in 2002 in Will County. Scott’s Law became a statewide mandate on Jan. 1, 2017.

It requires vehicles to move over any time they approach a vehicle parked along the side of the road, whether it has flashing lights or not.

“We have had numerous in-class discussions about the law and I knew, even before taking the (driver’s ed) class, that the disregarding of this law recently has been the cause of death for many safety personnel, emergency vehicle operators and road construction workers,” Seaman said.

Police have stepped up their enforcement of the law this year after accidents during the first three months of 2019 injured 16 law enforcement personnel. Three officers have died in that time.

“This is completely unacceptable,” Seaman added. “Everyone needs to be aware of Scott’s Law.

“My parents and I have had discussions and while riding with them, they talk to me about the importance of moving over and setting the example for the other drivers behind our vehicle.”

Area driver’s education instructors acknowledge the importance of learning the law.

“I certainly have emphasized it more,” said Mahomet-Seymour’s Brian Schwarzentraub, who has been teaching the classroom portion of driver’s ed for more than a decade. “When there is a hot topic, I try to make it a point to keep our students aware.”

To reinforce the words, area driver’s ed teachers have often asked Tracy Lillard, from the Illinois State Police, to speak to their classes.

“Officer Lillard comes into our classroom and does a great job helping the kids understand the importance of the law,” said Jason Retz, SJ-O driver’s ed instructor the past six years. “She humanizes the law, reminding the kids these are not just officers, they are family members.”

The law is named in honor of Lieutenant Scott Gillen, from the Chicago Fire Department, who was struck and killed two days before Christmas in 2000. He left behind a wife and five daughters.

Reinforcement is important, which is why Schwarzentraub asks Lillard to address his students even though some of the material has been covered previously.

“Trooper Tracy Lillard began her presentation with stories of state troopers killed from Scott’s Law violators,“ Schwarzentraub said. “She did this before the recent wave of sad stories.

“Students see video of how dangerous it is for emergency personnel helping motorists on the side of the road.”

Suits said the law is one which she and her friends take seriously.

“With the three recent deaths of Illinois State Police, my friends and I were actually just talking about how tragic the situation was and if we thought anything could be done in the future,” Suits said. “You learn about the law from the very beginning of the classroom portion, but it really doesn’t hit home until you read the reports of innocent lives being taken as a result of careless mistakes.

“It’s not just a pointless law made to restrict driving freedoms. It’s a law meant to get those officers home safely to their families and little ones.”

Putting the law into practice 100 percent of the time can be challenging. Young drivers understand some of the dilemmas.

“In an ideal situation, it would be easy to follow every single law perfectly, but in reality, that’s not the case,” Suits said. “Sometimes, it truly is impossible to move over due to the heavy traffic, but worst-case scenario, you can still take active steps to avoid an accident by slowing down and being alert on the road.

“Though it’s never really been an issue for me, it would cause some stress if I couldn’t change lanes. If I absolutely could not get over, then I would just slow down and give the cars as much space as possible to ensure their safety.”

Retz said that would be the correct decision.

“If they can not move over, put their signal on in attempt to move over and slow down and give as much room in their lane as possible,” Retz said. “I believe if an officer sees this attempt, there will be a better understanding that it was not possible, but they are still making an attempt to be more safe.”

Schwarzentraub said executing the law’s mandates are not always easy for young and inexperienced drivers.

“Very difficult,” he said. “Especially since cars on the interstate travel at such different rates of speed.

“Changing lanes in Champaign is difficult for young drivers. So when you ask students to change lanes with faster interstate traffic, it is an even more difficult task to perform.”

Mahomet-Seymour’s Jones is learning the challenges that are part of operating a vehicle.

“I think switching lanes can be scary, but if you follow the rules of the road, it gets easier,” Jones said. “To be approached by sirens and flashing lights can be stressful and seem to be a lot of pressure.

“Drivers just need to breath and follow Scott’s Law. Drivers who don’t follow this law are putting lives at risk, which is very scary.”

She doesn’t understand why there isn’t total compliance.

“It is crazy to me that there are people who don’t pull over or get out of the way,” Jones said. “I, personally, don’t think there is ever a situation when you can’t pull over or at least move out of the way of an emergency vehicle.”

Seaman said the various rules of the road are not ones which are only talked about during class.

“My friends and I have discussed this topic and we know that it is important to ensure the safety of the drivers around us,” Seaman said. “We have also discussed distracted driving, and how it has become a huge problem among American drivers.

“I know that being new at something can be challenging, but I think if you remember to always keep in mind the safety of those around you, it could make everything go a little easier.”

Schwarzentraub said it’s not always possible to place students in situations they will face when they are on their own behind the wheel.

“There can be many students who miss an opportunity to move over for an actual vehicle,” he said. “With six hours of driving and the interstate lesson happening around the third lesson, teachers often might only get to talk about it.”

Drivers who ignore Scott’s Law are faced with the possibility of fines and a moving violation.

Schwarzentraub believes the prospect of a moving violation is not the biggest deterrent for students.

“I would say it is more of the fact that lives are at stake,” he said.

Retz said his emphasis is not primarily on the consequences of not following the law.

“We stress it with safety and not necessarily because of the punishment.” Retz said.

Suits is a senior at SJ-O who has had her license for about two years. She doesn’t take her driving privileges for granted.

What she has learned has made a deep impression.

“I just think that it’s sad that so many officers have died as a result of distracted driving and not obeying the laws,” Suits said. “The people that are protecting us day and night should not have to fear for their lives with every routine traffic stop.

“Though the news of such tragedies clearly awakens us all to the dangers on the road, the important thing is that we take action to prevent them in the future rather than simply growing numb to the news of these accidents.

“They are real people with real families, so it’s not fair to them to put them in such danger with our reckless choices.”

Seaman said recognition of the law is getting traction in her peer group in a new way.

“One additional item that is trying to create awareness among youths is the Move Over Project, which is a youth organization started by a 12-year-old whose father is an Illinois State Trooper,” Seaman said. “She is encouraging people to post pictures in support of the Move Over Project.”

Last week, State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) helped pass legislation to require the Secretary of State to remind and test drivers about Scott’s Law in each registration renewal as well as to add a question about the law to the driver’s exam.

“First responders have an extremely dangerous job,” Rose said in a press release. “Motorists need to pull over and give them room. It’s the law and we need to do everything we can to make sure drivers understand this.

“Pulling over and slowing down for emergency service personnel needs to be top of mind at all times. We all know accidents happen, but it is incumbent upon each of us to slow down and pull over whenever possible.”

More information on Rose’s legislation can be found by researching Senate Bill 947. It is now headed to the Illinois House for consideration.