Georgia drivers need to make room for a new category of folks working by the road these days: utility crews.
Drivers must move over one lane or slow down and be ready to stop when passing electric power line crews and other utility workers working beside the road, according to a bill Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law last week.
State law already extends the same sort of safety margin to other vehicles and workers stopped by the roadside, including police, ambulances, wreckers and garbage trucks.
Georgia Power praised the law, saying in a statement that it will “help to ensure safety for linemen who may be working on the roadside at night or following severe weather to repair damaged equipment or restore power for customers.”
The law covers crews and vehicles for all sorts of public and private utility services, including electric, gas, water, cable and telecomm companies.
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