‘Move Over’ crashes skyrocket in state
Last year saw 36 percent jump from drivers ignoring law.
When you see a police car, ambulance, firetruck or Road Ranger on the side of road, you need to move over or slow down.
That’s the message from state officials this month as Florida reminds motorists to move over for law enforcement, first responders, and service and utility workers — for their own safety and the safet y of others. And the warning comes at a time when crashes involving violations of Florida’s “Move Over” law have spiked.
January marks the state’s second annual “Move Over, F l o r i d a ! ” c a mpai g n , i n which the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles partners with other law enforcement agencies in the state and AAA to raise awareness for the “Move Over” law using billboards, social media and the state’s electronic message signs.
According to preliminary numbers released by the state, 204 crashes last year were caused by drivers not obeying the Move Over law — a 36 percent increase from 2015, the state said.
Palm Beach County saw six Move Over-related crashes last year, with 10 injuries, according to a state report. Orange County led the state, with 32 wrecks related to Move Over violations.
“DHSMV i s committed to safety on Florida’s roadways, and the Move Over Law protects the public servants who must work roadside each day,” DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes said in a news release. “The simple act of moving over not only gives law enforcement, first responders, service and utility vehicles and Road Rangers space to do their job in an intensely dangerous setting, it also helps to ensure they are able to return home to their loved ones following their shift each day.”
The law, which took effect in 2002, requires motorists to move over a lane to provide a buffer for law enforcement and first responders. If drivers can’t move over, they must slow down to 20 mph under the speed limit as they pass the stopped vehicles.
Florida law enforcement officers also issued more than 5,500 citations for Move Over violations in 2016, the state said. A Move Over citation alone could net a driver three points on his or her license and a fine.
“The Move Over Law is about providing a safe work environment for everyone who patrols or delivers critical services along the roadway,” Col. Gene Spaulding, director of the Florida Highway Patrol, said in the news release.