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Move Over: Alabama To Enforce New Law
February 1, 2010
Monday, Alabama joined Florida in enforcing a “Move Over” law that requires motorists to move over when approaching emergency vehicles that are stopped on the side of the road with their emergency lights activated.
Alabama’s law formerly applied just to law enforcement vehicles and was dubbed the “Blue Light” law. But now the law has been expanded to include all emergency vehicles with flashing lights, including wreckers.
The law is effective now, and Alabama State Troopers began full enforcement with warning tickets on January 1. Costly traffic citations will be issued on and after February 1.
The law requires drivers to move over one lane on a four lane highway when approaching emergency vehicles. If it is unsafe to move over, drivers should slow at least 15 mph below the speed limit. On a two lane highway, drivers are required to move over as far as possible without leaving their lane and slow down to a speed at least 15 mph below the posted speed limit. If the posted speed limit is 20 mph or less, drivers should slow to 10 mph.
Florida’s move over laws is a little bit different:
- On a two-lane roadway, you are required to slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit.
- If the speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less, you must slow down to five miles per hour.
- If you are driving on an interstate or roadway with multiple lanes of travel in the same direction, and you approach an emergency or law enforcement vehicle parked along the roadway, you must vacate the lane closest to that vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you are not able to safely move over, you must slow down to a speed of 20 MPH below the posted speed limit unless directed otherwise by a law enforcement officer.
Pictured above: An Alabama State Trooper in Dallas County was seriously injured in this crash last year. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
9 Responses to “Move Over: Alabama To Enforce New Law”
The laws are here to protect us. End of story. Its not that hard to see that with this particular law. I mean you put yourself on the side of the road trying to fix a blown tire, and you have all these ‘disrespectful’ drivers just whizzing by. Its not that hard for you to move over a lane. So i mean if people don’t want to move over and they hit somebody, then the charge is on them, not the pedestrian. So ya problem solved.
I received one of these tickets recently. I was traveling south on Interstate 65. There were four vehicles directly in front of me and two in the left lane going the same direction beside those four cars near the front end of them – so none of the ones in front of me in my lane moved over nor slowed. The traffic was moving at about 65mph. The shoulder on the right was slightly lower than the roadway. The road had a very mild curve away(to the left) from the patrol car on the shoulder.
I could not see the shoulder ahead of me veyr far at all because of the cars in front of me. Because all of the vehicles were somewhat bunched I did not see the police car at all or its lights or any other vehicle on the shoulder until it was too late for me to move over safely. I did not try to explain it to the police officer. I may argue the case – hell how can you move over when you do not reasonable see the situation? Seems to me it was not possible to do so prior to being on top of the emergency vehicle and to quickly move over at the last second could have been a bit risky.
These kinds of laws should be the same nation wide. Otherwise, everyone would need to learn and memorize laws in all 50 states, or the ones they travel. I see no reason why having the same laws, nation wide would be a problem. I think this shoud be something the states do together, voluntarily. I am not advocating that the federal govt. get involved. They try to run our lives already, and complicate most things further. Actually, there shouldn’t even need to be a law. Courtesy, and common sense about safety should just be “understood.” Too many seem to not understand too much anymore.
This shouldn’t be a problem for the people in western Escambia County Alabama. Speaking from the condition of most of the roadways ,if you travel much more than fifteen miles per hour you are putting yourself in a dangerous situation.
It seems as most are miss reading the law. While all should move over for emergency vehicles enroute to a “scene”, the Move Over law targets all these goof balls that run the road doing the speed limit or higher without regard to the emergency personel that have someone pulled over on the side of the road, or as in a wrecker that is trying to help someone on the side of the road. There is increasing incidents of emergency personel being hit on the side of the road due to inconsiderate motorists not safely moving over or just plain slowing down. Just my opinion.
It would not hurt to put yourself in the shoes of the person in need of help. “Sorry your husband died,Maam. Traffic was horrible and we just couldn’t get here any faster.” or “sorry your house burned to the ground. If traffic would have been a little more obliging we could have saved most of the structure.” Give the emergency personell a break and PULL OVER!! They are out putting their lives on the line for our saftey and well being often for a lot less pay than they deserve.(some of the time they are volunteer fire fighters who try to keep us all safe for no pay!)
Not sure how slowing down or “safely” moving over to the oposite lane of the emergency vehicle is going to cause more accidents????? But I guess if it did, at least hopefully they would be lower speed accidents thus resulting in fewer severe injuries. Personally, I try to move over, or at a minimum slow down…. anytime I see a vehicle stopped on the side of the road for any reason.
Chad
I don’t see very many move over anyway. But how many times do you see people just keep right on driving down the road like no one else is on the road. Emergency light flashing, ambulance, fire truck or police office. Show them some respect, it may be you are a family member they are trying to help.Then when they get there like in New orleans, some idiot may shoot at them.
The move over law does not improve safety, it makes the situation less safe. I have studied the consequences and causes in depth. What has happened these laws have devolved into a new form of enforcement trap, and in our few as adopted are illegal.
The cause of these accidents.