IDOT: ‘Slow down and move over’ as construction season starts in Illinois

Posted on April 17, 2024

*Alfredo Cisneros has worked with IDOT for 10 years and works mostly on bridges and overpasses. He wants more people to slow down when they see the orange cones. (WJBC file photo)*

EAST PEORIA – The Illinois Department of Transportation is beginning their big push for construction this week and they have a message for drivers out there. Slow down and move over.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and IDOT is using the event to kick off National Work Zone Awareness Week. The week is meant to highlight the dangers of construction work.

In 2023 alone, 24 people were killed in work zone-related accidents.

Alfredo Cisneros has worked with IDOT for 10 years and works mostly on bridges and overpasses. He wants more people to slow down when they see the orange cones.

“Slow down, move over. Be courteous to us. You know, we’re literally feet away from cars every day, so we just have to make sure that people just slow down and move over,” he said.

Scott’s Law, more formally known as the Move Over Law, says you must slow down and get out of the lane closest to where first responders, public works employees or tow-truck operators — essentially anyone who works with a flashing light — on the shoulder.

If it’s not possible to move over or if it’s not safe, then a driver must slow down. Penalties include a fine of up to $10,000 and possibly the loss of driving privileges.

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