Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I put this up because there are still a lot of the public that doesn't know its now law in most states to either slow down or move to the left when you see a car pulled over on a traffic stop.

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Law, or no law...it should be a natural response to shift away from an officers vehicle at a traffic stop. As for me, I always make the sign of the cross when I see an officer doing a stop. Kinda my way of sending out the "ulimate protection", you know what mean?:)

Being on a committee for fallen officers, I truely hope that one day the general public has a greater awareness for this important issue.
In time I guess, all good things happen in time.

Legislation to enact a "move over" law has been shot down several times in Maryland. No idea why, but it's frustrating.

Heck, plenty of people are oblivious to the fact that they need to pull over when a fire truck or ambulance is coming...even if it has to go over to the wrong side of the road...I don't get it. I have seen ambulances that have a flashing blue light in back, I presume it's because blue lights get more attention since they usually mean "I'll get in trouble." It's sad but some people just don't care. I'd support it, and I always move over, but realistically I am wonder if a law would really help much.

In the state of FL this applies to authorized emergency vehicle that is stopped on a highway. Not just Law enforcement, and it only applies if there lights are on.

Most people don't realize it for Law enforcement but forget about any other emergency vechicle.

I stopped a car on an interstate highway the other night around 2300 hrs. A lot of traffic didnt move over when they could have and most didnt slow down either. Fine is $250 plus a mandatory suspension.

But ist a little tough to issue a ticket and go after another car at the same time. :rolleyes:

Down here in FL I think the fine is a joke 3 points and $60. However there is the town of Oakland (small town outside Orlando) they got alot of bad publicity for cracking down on this. They were writing a couple hundred tickets a week for it, and most people said they didn't know about it. I thought I had heard (and may be dead wrong) in FL they cannot give a warning for this violation. It has to be a citation.

Down here in FL I think the fine is a joke 3 points and $60. However there is the town of Oakland (small town outside Orlando) they got alot of bad publicity for cracking down on this. They were writing a couple hundred tickets a week for it, and most people said they didn't know about it. I thought I had heard (and may be dead wrong) in FL they cannot give a warning for this violation. It has to be a citation.

And rightfully so in my opinion. Driving by an officer on the side of the freeway you are given an option to save a life, as a civilian that is rare. It is not difficult to either gradually slow down or MOVE OVER!

Legislation to enact a "move over" law has been shot down several times in Maryland. No idea why, but it's frustrating.

Supposedly it is being debated again during the current session.

Even before i became an LEO, I still moved over a lane, common sense!

Legislation to enact a "move over" law has been shot down several times in Maryland. No idea why, but it's frustrating.

Maybe some day our great state will pull their heads out of their butts and make it safer for us to conduct traffic stops.

We had to pull traffic on MD Rt. 6 the other day, and let me tell you that was scary with little traffic...

Maybe some day our great state will pull their heads out of their butts and make it safer for us to conduct traffic stops.

We had to pull traffic on MD Rt. 6 the other day, and let me tell you that was scary with little traffic...

I wouldn't count on it.

They passed "Scott's Law" in Illinois which is the equivalent to a "move over" law.

It requires you to move over a lane for not only emergency vehicles, but also highway workers.

It was enacted in memory of Lieutenant Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department who was struck and killed in 2000 by an intoxicated driver on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

for people to not know this at this point in time with all the laws, newspapers, accidents, and news footage is more like ignorance. Wait till they have to change a flat tire, and a semi blows by them inches away at 70mph. They might think 2x next time they see someone doing the same.

This should probably be a sticky, and locked to prevent contamination to the OP.

I move over for ALL cars on the side of the road, espically Emergancy Personel!

The way I see it, I wouldn't want to have a car "wissing" by me at 70-75(average speed) a few inches away even if I am sitting on the side of the road!!!!!

If you can't move over, slow down and most of all DON'T LOOK AT IT. People can be such tards they just have to see what is going on so they look and steer toward someone stopped by the side of the road.

Fortunately where I live it is quite rural and I can easily move over into the passing lane if I see blue lights.

I was on I-495 in MA a few weekends ago and I saw a person pulled over. People didn't even slow down. All lanes were full so you couldn't move over but man at least slow down. People were blowing by doing 80.

The other thing is those who are pulled over should really pull as far over as they can. I see some who are still hugging the white line. Dangerous.

Move over (if safe to do so) is the law in Virginia!!!!!!:cool:

§ 46.2-921.1. Drivers to yield right-of-way or reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency vehicles on highways; penalties.

The driver of any motor vehicle, upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, as defined in § 46.2-920, that is displaying a flashing, blinking, or alternating emergency light or lights as provided in §§ 46.2-1022, 46.2-1023, and 46.2-1024, shall (i) on a highway having at least four lanes, at least two of which are intended for traffic proceeding as the approaching vehicle, proceed with caution and, if reasonable, with due regard for safety and traffic conditions, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to the stationary emergency vehicle or (ii) if changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, proceed with due caution and maintain a safe speed for highway conditions.

Violation of any provision of this section shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. If the violation resulted in damage to property of another person, the court may, in addition, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than one year. If the violation resulted in injury to another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than two years. If the violation resulted in the death of another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for two years.