Steering You Right with Sharon Peters
Q: My son is a state trooper, and many times he’s almost been hit by drivers speeding by, only inches away when he’s at an accident site on the side of the road or has stopped a motorist. You’d think people would know that this is a dangerous situation. But so many drivers don’t slow down or move over. Can you say something about this?
A: With pleasure and with gusto. People: move over. It’s not only polite, smart, and safer, which should be a sufficient number of reasons, it’s the law.
All 50 states have enacted “Move Over” laws. Although they’re not identical in every aspect from state to state, they all demand that motorists move over for emergency personnel (some also cover highway maintenance professionals) who are on the side of the road taking care of the business they’re paid to do.
You’d think that common sense would prompt drivers to give them little extra room.
You’d also think even people who don’t have much common sense would know they must do it: I’ve seen electronic signs on interstates in almost every state I’ve traveled across stating “Move over for stopped traffic.”
And yet, 71 percent of U.S. drivers claimed they’d never heard of move over laws, according to a study by the National Safety Commission.
The Emergency Responder Safety Institute estimates that on average, six to eight fire rescue and EMS workers are killed working in or near moving traffic each year, as are 10 to 12 police officers. And there are regular reports of tow truck operators and construction workers being killed or badly injured by drivers slamming into them.
Police agencies in some cities are taking steps to increase the awareness level about the move over law. In my town of Colorado Springs, Colorado, police are using many strategies, including social media. They recently posted on neighborhood sites these sobering stats: So far this year, the vehicle of one officer, who was attending to a crash on the interstate and was out of the car, was hit by a vehicle traveling 75 mph; nationally in 2015, 11 law enforcement officers were struck and killed outside of their vehicles.
Please. Do the right thing. This is an easy one.
© CTW Features
What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email [email protected].