Home > The Cone Zone > Archives > 2008 > June > 23 > Entry
Move Over Crackdown: Part Two
Last week, it was Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies who swarmed I-95 to nab drivers who failed to follow the Move Over law.
This week, it’s the Florida Highway Patrol that’s saturating the highway to enforce the law.
It’s not that hard to understand.
The Move Over law requires drivers to move over one lane whenever an emergency vehicle on the side of the road has its emergency lights activated. It you can’t move over, then you must slow down at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
Compliance is critical for the safety of law enforcement officers and other emergency workers on the highway, said FHP Col. John Czernis.
“Every one of these people are putting their lives at risk,” Czernis said. “Every one of them deserves protection under the law.”
Motorists simply need to understand that the state is serious about this, said Electra Theodorides-Bustle, executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and motor vehicles.
“We believe it will make a difference in the life of an emergency worker,” she said. “Law enforcement is already one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs a person can choose without the added worry of a motorist passing you on the roadway and creating more hazards.”
The FHP campaign will continue through Sunday. The fine for violating the law is $123.50.
Nationwide, more than 150 officers have been killed in the past 10 years by errant motorists.
Comments
By Chuck
June 23, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
This is a law that makes sense and saves lives.
What gets me is the radio traffic guys who talk about “minor” accidents and, in a complaining or condescending manner, the resulting “onlooker delays” or “gape block” when, in fact, it is often people doing exactly what the law requires. I actually heard that on WJNO on the same morning they interviewed an FHP rep about the law and the pending crackdown.
One would think that a traffic report would be a good opportunity to remind folks about the law, not make them sound like rubbernecking idiots for obeying it.
By Motorist
June 23, 2008 5:36 PM | Link to this
What this exercise does is needlessly put themselves at risk in order to collect money for their quota.
You don’t need to play in traffic to point out the fact that playing in traffic is dangerous.
Maybe when an officer is killed during one of these phoney Move Over entrapment exercises, they will do the right thing and knock it off.
Road signage is a much better way. No one gets hurt, or risks getting killed.
By Ralph Hurst
June 25, 2008 10:12 PM | Link to this
Today Wed. 25 June my wife was stopped on I-75 N. of Gainesville for violating the move over law. This was a gang of cops setting up traps stopping folks one after another. As I observed the traffic passing by the officer was presenting the citation to my wife and telling her what she did wrong. I saw trucks coming by at speeds in excess of over 78 mph, tailgating as well as darting back and forth across lanes because of the stopping of cars by up to 10-15 police cars, FHP, Alaucha Cty, and Gainesville police depts. What a fisco I witnessed. The officer had his but sticking out toward the on-coming traffic , he was writing the citation while in this position,looking into the driver side and talking to my wife. Maybe there would not have been as many deaths if there was a different policy for officers when writing tickets. Not only did they cause drivers to dodge in and out of traffic but they themselves were causing a dangerous situation on this busy interstate. Though we will pay our fine and my wife will attend the school, we feel that this was more for the buck than it was to promote safety. Why not a few bill-boards and msgs on the radio and newspapers. And yes, one more thing my wife has never had a ticket, she is 64 and has been driving since she was 16. For your info she was only driving 72 mhp this info was from the arresting officer. To add to this, if she had pulled into the middle lane she would have been moving into faster traffic and could have have caused an accident. The officer informed her that she had plenty of time to make the manuver. She felt unsafe in doing so. When is the driver of a vehicle to let others judge what is safe or not. He was not in the car with her and it was not his place to make that call. I guess there was nothing to do for these officers except to have a rodeo with the drivers on I-75 today. God bless them all.
By Carol
January 8, 2009 11:44 PM | Link to this
Some of them are using it as entrappment. My spouse was pulled over by a Trooper that was actually rolling not stopped. He said everyone had passed by buy since my husband was last he got the ticket. The pamphlet states when they are stopped with lights on. This one was rolling. Another way to make money!
By Carol
January 8, 2009 11:45 PM | Link to this
Some of them are using it as entrappment. My spouse was pulled over by a Trooper that was actually rolling not stopped. He said everyone had passed by buy since my husband was last he got the ticket. The pamphlet states when they are stopped with lights on. This one was rolling. Another way to make money!