Move-over laws protect police, first responders

Schools are out, and families are starting to think about vacations. That results in more traffic on the roads and, unfortunately, higher odds that police officers and other first responders will be called into action.

That means motorists need to be on the lookout, and to know what to do to avoid adding further drama to already potentially dangerous situations.

This week, law enforcement throughout the country, as well as here in Southern Mar yland and statewide, is stressing heightened awareness of the so-called “move-over laws,” including a stepped-up campaign of education and enforcement.

Officers will be out in force this week, and ready to remind drivers to switch lanes or at least slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped along the highway.

Mar yland has had a move-over law in place since 2010, and it was beefed up in 2014 to further stress the importance of clearing the way for police and other emergency vehicles to do their jobs safely.

The law stipulates that a stopped emergency vehicle should be flashing its lights, and reminds that the emergency vehicle could even be a tow truck.

And while changing lanes to go around a police cruiser, ambulance or other emergency vehicle pulled to the side of the road is a good practice, to give them more room to work. It’s not simply out of courtesy. It’s for the safety of the police officers or first responders. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 138 law enforcement officers were struck and killed along American roads between 2003 and 2013. Thankfully, Charles County was not among the communities met with that tragedy.

The move-over laws also apply if an officer is on a motorcycle, scooter or bicycle and is pulled to the side of the road.

And the state’s Motor Vehicle Administration wants to remind all drivers that the law has serious consequences for those who don’t comply. Even for first offenders, a motorist could be fined $110 and assessed a point on his or her driver’s license for not changing lanes when able to do so. Furthermore, if the violation contributes to a traffic crash, the fine is $150 and 3 points. And if the worst-case scenario occurs, and the violation contributes to a crash resulting in death or serious injur y, the fine is $750 and 3 points.

The ability to reasonably get out of the way is a key and common-sense point of the law, and of its enforcement. The letter of the law requires motorists approaching a police cruiser or ambulance to “make a lane change into an available lane not immediately adjacent to the emergency vehicle.” Of course, this movement should only be done if another lane in the same direction is available and the move can be made safely and without impeding other traffic. Nobody reasonably expects a driver to swerve out into other oncoming traffic. So the law states that if moving to another lane away from the stopped emergency vehicle is not possible, drivers should “slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing weather, road and vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions.”

So be on the lookout for emergency vehicles. And if you should roll up on one busy on the side of the road, pull over or slow down as the situation dictates.