New law in CA 1/1: Emergency vehicle => slow down, change lanes

[Muse]

I've watched more than one story on this on TV and don't get it. If I come across an emergency vehicle with flashing lights I'm required to slow down and change lanes. I understand the slow down part, but WTH are they talking about "and change lanes?" Change lanes? Why? Which way?

Pictured in the story is a tow truck stationary on the road's shoulder with flashing lights. I'm in lane one, two or three, what am I supposed to do? 😕

 

[benzylic]

It probably means have an empty lane between you and the emergency vehicle, most people I see on the highway try to do that anyways...

 

[Sclamoz]

It means if you're in the same lane as the emergency vehicle you need to change lanes....

 

[Muse]

It probably means have an empty lane between you and the emergency vehicle, most people I see on the highway try to do that anyways...

Y dn't they say so? Guess they'll spell it out in tomorrow's paper. Haven't seen any newspaper stories on it yet, weird.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Yeah we've had this law in Michigan for a while. It's simple, if you're on the freeway in the right lane and there's a police or fire vehicle on the right, move to the left. If you can't then slow way down.

 

[OrByte]

yeah other states have this law...it makes sense if there is a hazzard on the side of the road you get out of the way and/or slow down.

I wonder if this extends to highway/transportation workers? Caltrans workers get smacked all the time out on the highways...

 

[Zorkorist]

It's plain defensive driving. Get out of the way of a hazard (and slow down when prudent).

If you are asking which lane to change to, change to the furthest lane from the hazard.

If you are asking if you are already in the furthest lane, wether you should change lanes, the answer is no.

 

[Zorkorist]

If you are wondering why highway workers get hit, it's because of people A) drunk, B) stupid (oblivious) enough not to change lanes.

My brother got rear-ended by an 18-wheeler in his Toyota Tercel while he was in the free-way shoulder.

The guy should have pulled left.. but no... he hits my brother.

 

[StageLeft]

i think we have this in NY. Probably cops are sick of people being too close to them and not paying attention and doing sh*t like this:

It's at :50. If you don't laugh, you're sick. See a doctor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubeQqcyGf3w

 

[Moonbeam]

The centipede was happy quite

until the toad in fun

said, Pray which leg goes after which?

This worked his mind to such a pitch

he lay distracted in a ditch

considering how to run.

 

[Muse]

yeah other states have this law...it makes sense if there is a hazzard on the side of the road you get out of the way and/or slow down.

I wonder if this extends to highway/transportation workers? Caltrans workers get smacked all the time out on the highways...

I think in the story it said it does apply to Caltrans workers.

 

[Muse]

It's plain defensive driving. Get out of the way of a hazard (and slow down when prudent).

If you are asking which lane to change to, change to the furthest lane from the hazard.

If you are asking if you are already in the furthest lane, wether you should change lanes, the answer is no.

They did a lousy job of explaining it in the TV stories.

 

[boomerang]

We've got some pretty severe penalties regarding construction zones here too. Greatly reduced speed limits and enormous fines for hitting a construction worker. They've relaxed the rules somewhat with signs posted that the reduced speed limits are only in effect when workers are present. This to me, is confusing. Although Michigan is basically pretty flat, it's easy to come over a rise to find that there are in fact workers present where you thought there would not be.

 

[Ns1]

The New Year also includes numerous new laws for California drivers. The “Slow Down and Move Over” law requires motorists to slow down as they approach emergency vehicles and—if possible—to merge to the left-hand lanes. Emergency vehicles include police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and tow trucks and should have flashing lights to notify motorists to slow down and merge.

California Highway Patrol spokesperson Jonathan Sloat said officers will be looking for drivers to make the merge when safe, and at the very least “they should slow down,” he said.

text above

 

[3chordcharlie]

We've got some pretty severe penalties regarding construction zones here too. Greatly reduced speed limits and enormous fines for hitting a construction worker. They've relaxed the rules somewhat with signs posted that the reduced speed limits are only in effect when workers are present. This to me, is confusing. Although Michigan is basically pretty flat, it's easy to come over a rise to find that there are in fact workers present where you thought there would not be.

I've seen zones like that where there are flashing lights to tell you if there are workers, so the speed limit is only reduced if the lights on the sign are flashing. Seems like a good way to do it to me.

 

[boomerang]

I've seen zones like that where there are flashing lights to tell you if there are workers, so the speed limit is only reduced if the lights on the sign are flashing. Seems like a good way to do it to me.

That would make a whole lotta sense. I don't know how they do it elsewhere but as an example it seems like if they've got a five mile stretch of road to work on over several weeks time, the barrels go up on the whole stretch and stay there the whole timeframe regardless of where they're working. That's where the problem lies, you don't know where they're at. You don't know if they're working around the clock or on weekends too.

But I'm not seeing or hearing of a lot of enforcement, so maybe it's just a non-issue.