There are two words that can mean the difference between life and death on Florida’s busy highways: move over.
It’s a phrase the Florida Highway Patrol is sharing as much as it can, letting drivers know that when someone is stopped along a busy roadway, they need to move over, or slow down. If not, it could not only result in a ticket, but also injury or death of whoever might be stopped because of an accident.
“Our troopers are out there every day working traffic stops and crash scenes along busy highways with cars speeding past them, often just feet away,” said Col. David Brierton, director of Florida Highway Patrol, in a release. “And every day, they face the real possibility of never going home to their families because someone fails to obey the move over law.”
The law, according to FHP:
• Protects law enforcement officers, emergency workers and tow truck drivers stopped along roadways while doing their jobs.
• Requires motorists to move over when a patrol car, emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped on the side of a road with lights flashing. If such movement cannot be safely accomplished, motorists must slow down to a speed 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
Enforcing the law is important to troopers, especially since FHP lost one of its own this past May when Trooper Chelsea Richard was struck and killed by a vehicle while investigating an accident. The tow truck driver, as well as another pedestrian, was also killed in the crash.
For more information on the move over law, visit tinyurl.com/MoveOverFlorida.
