Illinois partners with Google to prevent more Move Over crashes

CHICAGO (WCIA) — A new notification may pop up on your phone’s GPS while driving on Illinois roads and highways, and leaders hope those alerts help protect state troopers.

Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology have partnered with Google Public Sector to create alerts for drivers using many navigation apps based on ISP traffic activity. The notifications are designed to prevent deadly Move Over crashes.

Government leaders announced the new technology at a news conference Wednesday. ISP is one of the first law enforcement agencies to partner up, providing real-time GPS-based traffic information to tech companies.

“This new alert system is a critical step in keeping our roads safer for both law enforcement officers and drivers,” Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton said in a release. “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.”

Illinois’ Move Over law, also known as Scott’s Law, went into effect in 2017. It requires all motorists to slow down and move over by changing lanes for stationary emergency vehicles and any stationary vehicle with its hazard lights.

There have been 18 Move Over crashes so far this year. Since 2019, two ISP troopers have been killed, nine seriously injured, and 51 others injured in crashes, according to Illinois State Police’s Scott’s Law dashboard.

State Police officials hope to get that number down to zero.

“I’ve been to way too many hospitals across the state, stood by way too many beds, I’ve cried and prayed with way too many families, and spoke at way too many funerals, in part because of life alerting and sometimes deadly crashes that violated the Move Over law,” ISP Director Brendan Kelly said. “One life, one injury, one crash, is too many.”

Now, ISP officers will generate alerts about a crash, traffic stop, motorist assist, or debris in the roadway, which is sent to Google Cloud along with the officers’ coordinates. Google Cloud then transforms the message and broadcasts to drivers using popular GPS apps.

The alerts are incorporated for drivers using the Waze app. Officials said these alerts should also appear on Google Maps in the coming weeks.

“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.” Brad Hoffman, the director for State & Local Government and Education at Google Public Sector, said.

State Police hope another visual reminder will protect first responders.

“I want people to know when they see that little notification pop up, that’s more than just a little icon,” Kelly said. “That icon is a person; a trooper who has dedicated their life to keeping you safe, and this is your opportunity to help keep them safe by simply slowing down and moving over.”

Kelly hopes other states follow Illinois’ lead for the collaboration in technology.

“We’re not the only state that’s dealing with this very difficult public safety challenge,” Kelly said.

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