Pay attention, respect rules of the road

It’s unfortunate that a law must be passed to enforce what should be commonplace to any motorist.

But when common sense fails to achieve the desired result, the state must resort to fines or jail time.

And even that doesn’t ensure compliance.

That’s why Massachusetts transportation, traffic safety and law enforcement officials joined a virtual event hosted by AAA Northeast recently to publicize the state’s Slow Down Move Over Law.

It coincided with the observance of October as Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Oct. 16’s National Move Over Day.

While many motorists might flout it, just about everyone with a driver’s license probably has heard of the state’s Hands-Free law, which prohibits motorists from using hand-held devices.

It received considerable media attention in the leadup to its passage by lawmakers and enactment in February 2020.

If a driver is under 18, it’s illegal to use any device, even in hands-free mode.

But according to highwaysafety officials, many motorists pulled over for violating the Move Over Law swear they’ve never heard of it, even though it’s been on the books since 2009.

There’s no mystery to its application.

“The law is simple. When you see red, yellow, or blue lights flashing at the roadside, slow down and move over to the next adjacent lane if it’s safe to do so,” explained Mary Maguire, director of public and government affairs for AAA Northeast.

As with the Hands-Free law, the stay-home, socialdistancing environment created by the coronavirus epidemic sharply decreased the number of vehicles on the road, which limited the number of instances in which this law could be applied.

But with the reopening of the Massachusetts economy and lifting of the state of emergency, that’s all changed.

To date, the Registry of Motor Vehicles has reported more than 71,000 motor-vehicle citations, including 53,226 warnings for distracted driving, since the effective date of the Hands-Free Law.

While motorists remaining with broken-down vehicles can be at risk of being struck by a distracted driver, highway construction workers and public-safety personnel remain the most vulnerable.

Two officers were reportedly recently struck while working protective details.

“So far, this year, we’ve lost 14 tow truck drivers across the country, and on average 24 first responders die each year based on roadside accidents,” said John Galvin, president and CEO of AAA Northeast.

Traffic Safety Officer Corey Rateau said it’s especially important to be situationally aware when obvious caution warnings, like flashing lights, aren’t present.

He said he oftentimes works with utility company employees wearing only a reflective vest and holding a flashlight, which puts both those workers in jeopardy.

“According to the data from the National Law Enforcement Memorial for 2020, traffic incidents accounted for 16% of all law enforcement-related fatalities, making it the thirdleading cause of death,” Rateau said. “One of my greatest fears with my job is not necessarily being hurt or killed by gun violence or something like that, it’s often being struck by a car by someone not paying attention.”

It shouldn’t take a tragedy like the death of State Trooper Thomas Devlin to heighten public awareness.

Devlin was struck by a motorist in July 2018 while conducting a vehicle stop on Route 3 in Billerica, sustaining serious injuries that would lead to his death in September 2020.

Keeping your eyes on the road and granting police cruisers or medical emergency vehicles the proper room to maneuver doesn’t seem too much to ask of those who travel the state’s roadways.