Published on Tuesday, February 21, 2006
in the St. Augustine Record

Highway Patrol campaign focuses on Move Over law

Despite a law instructing motorists to slow down and pull over for emergency workers and police, people are still being struck and either severely injured or killed, says the Florida Highway Patrol.

Lt. Bill Leeper said Monday the Florida Highway Patrol will lead a public awareness campaign enforcing the Move Over law during the next two months.

The Move Over law was enacted in Florida in 2002.

Northeast Florida statistics on the law's impact were not available on Monday.

The FHP Web site says that during 1996-2000 prior to the enactment of the law, "motorists in Florida crashed into working law enforcement vehicles that were stopped/parked along Florida roadways 1,793 times, resulting in five deaths and 419 injuries."

The law requires a vehicle on a two-lane roadway to slow 20 miles below the speed limit when approaching emergency vehicles or police with their emergency lights on, Leeper said.

Vehicles in a multi-lane roadway are required to move over to the adjacent lane under the law, he added.

Motorists can be fined $118 for not abiding by the Move Over law, Leeper said.

As part of this year's Move Over campaign, Leeper said the FHP will post billboards along highways and distribute stickers to be posted at gas station promoting the Move Over law.