ISP will send “Move Over” alerts in Waze and Google Maps

ILLINOIS (KFVS) – The Governor and Illinois State Police announced a new notification system to help reduce the number of “Move Over” crashes.

According to a press release from Governor JB Pritzker’s office, ISP and the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology have partnered with Google Public Sector to develop a real-time GPS alert to notify drivers when the ISP responds to someone on the road and prompts them to slow down and move over.

They say the message is generated by the ISP, transmitted to Google Cloud and then sent to Waze. It can alert drivers to slow down and move over in the event of an accident, traffic stop, motorist assistance, or debris on the road. Waze uses the soldier’s GPS location to send the message to drivers. Police, accident or broken down vehicle icons will appear on the map on their screen.

They say similar icons will appear on Google Maps in the coming weeks.

“The men and women of the Illinois State Police provide an invaluable service in keeping our highways safe, and we owe them every effort to ensure that safety is extended to them as well,” said Governor JB Pritzker in a press release. “The tragic accidents that injured and killed Illinois State Police officers cannot become an expected danger to their jobs. Illinois drivers: slow down, pay attention and help our law enforcement officers stay safe while they save lives.

You can click here to watch the governor announce the new alert system.

ISP is one of the first law enforcement agencies in the nation to provide real-time GPS-based traffic information to help prevent what are commonly referred to as “Move Over” crashes.

According to the ISP, the Move Over law, also known as Scott’s Law in Illinois, requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching stopped emergency vehicles, including all road maintenance vehicles equipped with flashing lights and any stationary vehicle with its hazard lights activated.

Since 2019, two ISP soldiers have been killed, nine seriously injured and 51 others injured in “Move Over” accidents.