Overview of IL Traffic Laws

We are Illinois attorneys who for no charge will answer your questions and if needed provide a lawyer referral for traffic cases. The law firms we recommend are not free, but they are experienced, well connected and focus their practice on traffic defense. This doesn’t guarantee a result, but does give you the best chance of success. If you would like our help please contact us at any time. For a general overview on Illinois traffic law please read on.

Drivers in Illinois are subject to state traffic laws as well as local and county ordinances. Violations of these traffic laws can result in loss of driving privileges, heavy fines, alcohol classes, even jail and oftentimes increased insurance rates. Below is a general summary of the traffic laws in Illinois.

DUI Laws –
In Illinois, if you are found to be driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08, then you are driving under the influence. If you are under the age of 21 and have any alcohol in your system whatsoever, you can be considered to be driving under the influence in violation of Illinois DUI law and can be charged with a DUI.

You cannot be forced to take a breathalyzer test. If you were forced to take one, it can be thrown out by the judge, as long as there was no accident involved that resulted in injury to another person. This is why it is highly recommended that you seek the advice of an experienced DUI attorney who will review the facts of your case and try to obtain the best result possible, including avoiding jail time.

As crazy as it may sound, you don’t even need to be driving a car to get a DUI. As long as you have the keys on you and are near the vehicle you can get arrested. We have helped defend people who were sleeping in the back seat with the car off and still got taken to jail.

Scott’s Law –
According to Scott’s law, also known as the “Move Over Law,” motorists must yield to any vehicle equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights and reduce speeds, change lanes if possible, and proceed with caution when they approach any police or emergency vehicle with their lights on.

If you violate Scott’s law, you could face up to $10,000 in fines and if you are found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may also have your driving privileges suspended for up to two years.

The law is named after Lieutenant Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department, who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while assisting at a crash on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Often the police will set up sting operations to ticket scores of motorists. Usually one car will be on the side of the road and the other will be just up the way with binoculars. They will literally pull over as many motorists as time allows. Certainly be on the lookout for this.

Speeding -
This is of course the most common traffic situation. Whether or not you need an attorney depends on many factors such as how fast you were going (if it’s 20 over or more then yes), is it your first offense, how old are you and is supervision being offered to you. If you get three or more convictions in a 12 month period if you are over 21 or two in 24 months if you are under 21 your license will get suspended.

Other Traffic Laws - Below is a list of some of the other common traffic laws.

Reckless driving

Driving with no insurance

Driving with a suspended license

Illegal turns

Running a stop sign or red light

Many people in Illinois rely on their vehicles to get to and from work and almost everywhere else. We rely on our cars to get us where we need to be. Of course, we must follow traffic laws while we’re operating our vehicles. If you have been accused of a traffic violation, it is highly recommended that you seek the assistance of an experienced Illinois traffic lawyer to help you navigate the process. If you don’t know where to find one just contact us. We are free. We are confidential. We can point you to a lawyer in your area who will likely be a good fit for your case.