If a patrol car is pulled over to the side of the road, you have to change to the next lane (away from the stopped vehicle) or slow down to at least 20 mph under the posted speed limit.

Every state except Hawaii and Maryland and the D.C. has this law.

In California, the Move-over law became operative on January 1, 2010.

"A friend's son got a ticket for this recently.

A police car (turned out it was two police cars) was on the side of the road giving a ticket to someone else.

He slowed down to pass but did not move into the other lane.

The second police car immediately pulled him over and gave him a ticket.

He had never heard of the law.

It is a fairly new law that states if any emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, if you are able, you are to move into the far lane.

The cost of the ticket was $754, with three points on your license and a mandatory court appearance.

Please let everyone you know that drives about this new law.

It is true (see details at the following web address." www.moveoveramerica.com

Regulating common sense and courtesy.

Moving over, whether it's an emergency vehicle, a semi, or a disabled motorist (if you're not going to stop to help), is just common courtesy.

Yeah, but they don't need more than half a lane.

Having had big rigs "breeze" me more than a few times, it would bitchslap such fools where it hurts, hopefully BEFORE they murder someone.

I frequently see police cars on traffic stops with their vehicles sitting out about 3-4 feet in the lane of traffic when there is plenty of room to have pulled completely off of the road. What sense does that make? Maybe it's just the LEOs in my area, but if you ask me they're needlessly creating a hazard. Almost all of the POVs seen are pulled completely off of the roadway.

Always did it before it was law for that very reason ET, been on the receiving end way too many times. Lost count of the hats I had destroyed from it. I think the fine should be at least $1,000.00

Texas law says you have to move over or slow down if you can't move IF the vehicle has its emergency light working.

Having lost two friends who were State Troopers that were run over by divers who did not move over before the law was passed I think it is a GOOD law.

BCR

I suppose in NY the cops never park where a driver can't see them until the driver is right on top of them when trying to catch speeders. Around here a few idiots park concealed in the inner escape lane on the interstate, then bitch when they almost get hit.

I'm all for protecting the officers, but they need to use some judgment as well.

griz, it states that when a stop is in progress!! Like when the Officer(s) are at the driver's side door! Not when they are in the median or anything like that.

I think that's a pretty accurate description of what the law says here too.

It just makes sense to give plenty of room to anybody who is pulled to the side of a road. I've changed enough tires and helped out enough people along the roadside to know that it can be a pretty spooky place to conduct business.

Too much of this going on is what caused the regulation. I do not agree with the rule but I understand the reason.

The first one is NOT for the faint of heart.





RH

It is a survival tool GH. If the cruiser is parked straight behind the stopped car, officers get killed at an alarming rate by people who stay too far to the right. Offsetting the cruiser forces at least a couple of feet of marginal safety. It also is a way of interposing the engine and more coachwork between the officer and the subject in the even that he starts shooting. Mucho better cover than a clipboard.

I knew somweone would correct me so I didn't have to do the research. Thanks.
Still some "officers" are so eager to give tickets that they do park in dangerous places. A few years ago a motorcycle cop was killed doing what I described and he had been warned a number of times. Didn't help his family that he didn't listen, but in fairness, he was kind of a jerk.

My father is law was a state trooper for 33 years...As Sean said it is common courtesy and too many people in society don't have an ounce of courtesy for our police officers.. still living with the HIPPIE mentality of calling them "Pigs"....

on the other end, I think it is ridiculous on the prices that are assessed on tickets in today's world, and on this "POINT" system used by many states...

as a resident in MN for many years, I almost had my license pulled due to "POINTS" for speeding, courtesy of Wisconsin..

I was employed as a medical sales rep, covering 7 states, so I put on 60,000 miles a year on a car..however, my 'speeding tickets' were all issued on I 94, in the middle of nowhere...
2 were for doing 57 mph in a 55 zone, and the other was doing 56 in a 55 zone..( back in the days of 55 mph speed limits)... all were received at night time when there was even less traffic on the road..

I took the time to go to court over them, and the judge still let the state cop prevail...

the pricing on the tickets were not that high in those days.. but the 'point' system almost got my licenses pulled... jacked up my insurance rates....

it wasn't about public safety, it was about revenue generation..

I finally asked the last judge, what sets off radar units in Wisconsin License plates that are from states that start with an M or an I? ( Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, IOWA) he didnt' like the question too much....

on the other end, My father in law was the epitome of integrity as a MN state trooper...and there are a lot of fine officers out there, so I don't want this as a reflection of negativity to LEOs...I support you guys 1000%....but some of these enforcement laws, and fines coming from judges and politicians.. who are always immune to the same laws themselves.. really tink me off..

That first one.. is amazing the officer got up and started running to the side of the road...it looked like he was killed instantly..

how friggin blind and stupid do people have to be to NOT see a cop car with an officer on the side the road????

I am against the big fines, but on the other hand, I think it is appropriate that the person who hits a troopers vehicle has to pay out of pocket for any and all damages.. not the insurance company.. they do..

and they kill a trooper, then it is life in jail, just as if they killed someone with a gun etc..

the state instead ought to sue the party guilty in court for damages...

+1

I guess I'd be pretty ticked for getting nabbed for doing a couple mph over the limit. I've got a BIL who is some form of high muckety-muck as a civilian with the Michigan State Police. He's told us that the MSP troopers are directed to not stop drivers for anything less than 9mph over the posted limit.

Now, I don't know if that holds true, and even if it does, I'm sure there'd be exceptions for aggressive or erratic driving while doing less than 9 over. The 'fires own Brinky72 is with the MSP I believe, and would probably know much more about this.

OK, I know, I got off topic here.

Been moving to the left when encountering any vehicle on the shoulder when possible for years and have been doing the same at any entrance ramp to a interstate, it's only a common courtesy.

The ones I hate are the ones that race you to enter the highway and not obey the yield signs and once they get ahead of you take the next exit. I think we've all been guilty of that at one time or another.

Down here if it is just speed it is 10 over, if mitigating factors like aggressive/careless driving, texting, lots of lane changes Etc, you will get stopped for even doing the limit.

When this law went into effect in missouri the very first person I stopped for it was a drunk driver. It makes me wonder how many times a drunk driver has buzzed by while I was standing there a foot or two away.

I don't stop any speeder unless your at least 15 MPH over and then alot times I don't write a ticket. I work with guys that are 10 mph over the limit and your getting a ticket no matter why you were speeding. I am glad they like that part of police work because I do not. I would much rather deal with drunk drivers and they can write the speeding tickets. Lets face it though if they were not out there wrighting tickets everyone would be doing 25 mph over the speed limit.

Dink

Yep, there's got to be limit to leniency. We've all got families and friends on the roads who we want to see again. Allowing 10 over seems plenty generous to me. It's hard to see any reason for lenience when it comes to aggressive or careless behavior.

I'm glad to see it there. I have two nephews who are troopers there and want them to be able to grow old safely.

I had a guy driving like an ass in front of me on the highway the other day, weaving in and out of traffic in a construction zone no less. The guy loses it and plows right into the construction signs on the shoulder. Totalled his truck. If a construction worker had been there the driver probably would have killed em, as he hit the signs at 70+ MPH. I think the pull into the other lane is a great idea for PO's safety and others on the roads.

I've always moved over for merging traffic, or for policemen who've pulled over another vehicle, as noted, it's just common courtesy and decency, too.

I also just set my cruise control about 4 miles over the speed limit and just idle down the road. If I wanna get someplace quicker, I leave home earlier.

batch do you know what troop or county they work in?

Dink

Another opinion from the other side: Please allow the big truck to move into your lane when the above situation presents itself. I cannot count the times when I try to pull over when there is an emergency vehicle or a break down on the side of the road. A car will see my turn signal, hurry up and pull beside me so I will not get in front of them and hang there, match my speed no mater what I do. I made two round trips today from Port Townsend to Renton, WA. This exact situation happened today five times in 412 miles. I guess as a commercial driver I am supposed to drive off the road into an overpass so I will not inconvenience a car driver. After all truck drivers are filth and car drivers are GODS and Gods can not be inconvenienced in any way!

Sound pissed. Will not at you my friend but those five selfish drivers are no longer on my Christmas list.

Scott, You and I both know that there are some rig drivers who do that as a game,NOT as an unavoidable act. Like the scuz that drive by a bicyclist and reach out and shove them.

Spending some time in a tractor/trailer is a good lesson for anyone. I had no clue how ineffective brakes can be especially on an unloaded rig. Then there's the blind spots...

In Ontario, the no contest fine for the same offence is $490 with three demerit points, and that is the minimum fine. We've had that one on the books for a few years already. And from one who has had to jump into a ditch to avoid being hit, I am glad there is something to charge these inconsiderate goofballs with.

You ever worked on a highway? It ain't my favorite to have some dickhead come buzzing 3' from you because he's in a hurry.

Yes Sir, we do. I will go one step further and say there are way too many CDL drivers on the road who should not be permitted to ride a bicycle on a dirt track let alone drive a truck on a road. But, none of those a$$ holes hung me up today.

Ditto that driving in a SMALL car, or in a Jeep without top/doors, or a motorcycle.

I'm a day late and a dollar short, but that isn't exactly true.

NH has a "Move Over" law but that isn't it.

George

I have a BIL that is an idiot and regularly zooms right past police stops while in the right lane. He's gotten tickets for it but last I heard hasn't changed his ways. Idjit.

I've been dusted a few times, clipped by a mirror once (thankfully it was on a back road with a low speed limit but it still hurt like a biotch) and still haven't written anybody for it. Chewed azzes, though....

George

Dash cam footage, with audio perhaps?

No dash cams or recorders. The Chief has wanted to put 'em in for a few years but the budget hasn't allowed it. You can pretty well imagine what was said.

If we ever do I promise that the 'Fire will get some laughs.

George

I hated working on the Interstate. Everyone was going at least 65 mph and many cannot see beyond their hood ornament and refuse to look. I was setting with a trailer that came off a car and some kid who was looking at the trailer hit my patrol car. It was a black and white with the top lights on and he still hit my car.

We have a pull over law but if you are out there alone taking care of business and no one to chase them down, we still have those who would not pull over. Dead is dead, pull over law or not. It is better than what it was but not by much. Thanks to all of you who do pull over, required to or not. kwg

Oh, I can imagine... I just want to see the look on all faces involved.

As for the laughs... yeah...

I know MN had an unofficial policy that a driver was given a leaway of 8 mph over on the interstate and open rural highways..rode in the FIL's cruiser many times and he had his radar warning signal set at 63mph, in 55 mph zones..

another thing I really admired about my FIL was that the entire area he covered was none interstate... so he use to drive down the highway at 45 mph.. regardless of speed limit, most folks didn't have the nerve to pass a state trooper.. he'd come into a town leading a string of cars half a mile long at times...

it was his way of keeping the speed down on the highway when he patroled...

I like the input on this thread...

For Scott, not all truckers are as decent of a guy as you are..

especially up in Washington, common courtesy on the highway is pretty sparse..this past month I had to take two trips to Seattle, and one trip down to LA/SoCal...I saw a lot of attitude that can be explained as "me first".. all up and down I 5!

Courtesy still exists somewhat in rural areas.. but in any built up areas it is non existent....

For our fellow officer forum members, I am not in favor of this law or these high fines..

what I would be in favor of, is that you boys should be allowed to pull these folks over.. cuff them and throw them in the back of your cruiser, take them down and give them an overnight in jail... and you boys should be able to privately take out your anger on their assses with you night stick in the privacy of their jail cell...or just accidentally shoot them...if it was bad enough...

you don't need to hurt the publics wallet on this stuff..you need to be hurting some of these culprits heads and assses..

Its a sad but true fact of life that this law had to even been written. Yet Common Courtesy and self responsibility have decreased in direct relation to the increase of those living off the welfare state, thus morals must be legislated.

We call that "Blue Light Fever", have used it MANY times.

It ain't just you law boys either. What convinced me that I had got too old and slow to work VFD was a bob tail truck. We had a wreck out on the interstate. The boys was having to use the jaws to extract the driver. I had boogied up down the road @ a hundred yards, set out the cones and was standing behind them waving my orange flag and pointing the outside lane. Broad daylight too.
Here comes this bob tail truck just a flying in the inside lane. The closer that sob got the faster I was waving that flag.

He hit the cones before he locked up. I jumped toward the ditch. Had we been in the Olympics I'd have been good for silver at least. As he slid past the bumper just touched my butt.

The troop that was up with the wreck came back to see if I was alive. Did he ever give that driver an ass chewing. I helped.

Driver says he never saw any 3foot orange traffic cones set across his lane nor some fat old fool waving an ornage flag.

BCR

Bet he is paying more attention these days!

Well, that'd rate a pucker factor of at least a +9 on a scale of 10.

Its the law in Wyoming you have to slow down 10 mph and move into the other lane. Most truckers I know and have seen move over if it is just a vehicle parked along side of the road.

Yep. always have if at all possible.