PSA: Move over law

[Ruptga]

Making it a law is a nice statement to those too stupid to think of it themselves, but how often is a stopped officer going to drop the one they've already got stopped and chase someone like this down? And how often is one cop passing a stopped cop at the same time that one of these idiots flies by? I just don't see how this is practically enforceable.

 

[geno]

They made a big push here in MA about it last year, putting ads on the radio and such. I'm not sure how they plan on enforcing it though :hmm:

 

[JD50]

Of course Maryland doesn't have this law. What a fucked up state, I wish I didn't love the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay so much.

 

[olds]

Making it a law is a nice statement to those too stupid to think of it themselves, but how often is a stopped officer going to drop the one they've already got stopped and chase someone like this down? And how often is one cop passing a stopped cop at the same time that one of these idiots flies by? I just don't see how this is practically enforceable.

Part of the intent of this law was to make someone who didn't move over and then hit someone civilly liable for any damages they caused.
As it was before, it was an accident and no one could go after the driver.
With the new law, the person injured or the family of the person injured can sue the driver of the vehicle and recover damages.

 

[PepePeru]

The potential for abuse is there with this law. I've seen it several times now, where a trooper will sit on the side of the highway with his lights on, for seemingly no reason. He's merely waiting for someone to not move over or slow down, as my State's law (and signs on the highway) clearly states. It doesn't say by how much, it just reads 'slow down'.

I've seen it another instance where there was a trooper sitting on the side of the road, on the other side of a hill (you can't see him until you crest the hill) when I crested the hill he flipped on his lights. When I went by he shut them off.

while the intentions of this law are good, it's definitely being abused for revenue building or 'drug interdiction' reasons.

 

[PaperclipGod]

'tis appreciated.

Some bastard flew past me at 41mph in a 30mph residential area (with moderate traffic too) when I was on a stop the other night...unfortunately I couldn't clear and get to him in time and we had no one else in the immediate area. Fortunately, I was in my car so I didn't get almost-squashed.

Great way to get a ticket, though.

40 in a 30? Hoo-boy! Clearly we need more officers to combat that sort of wild disregard for safety!

 

[amdhunter]

NY: no law

keepin it classy

however im saddened they had to make this a law. ive always moved over/slowed down

We don't need a law. The officers keep us in check regardless.

 

[Electric Amish]

I always try to move over when traffic allows.

 

[olds]

We don't need a law. The officers keep us in check regardless.

Only because you are black.

 

[JD50]

40 in a 30? Hoo-boy! Clearly we need more officers to combat that sort of wild disregard for safety!

Clearly you need to go back and read his entire post.

 

[lupi]

So fucking stupid. More laws for regulating the idiots, thats what we need more of.

 

[PaperclipGod]

Clearly you need to go back and read his entire post.

It's too far back, I flew past it. Cliffs?

 

[JD50]

It's too far back, I flew past it. Cliffs?

He said the guy flew past him going 41 in a 30, while he had someone pulled over on the side of the road. That's incredibly dangerous for the cop and the person that's pulled over.

 

[mfenn]

Making it a law is a nice statement to those too stupid to think of it themselves, but how often is a stopped officer going to drop the one they've already got stopped and chase someone like this down? And how often is one cop passing a stopped cop at the same time that one of these idiots flies by? I just don't see how this is practically enforceable.

It's called a radio

 

[PlasmaBomb]

common sense.

There is no such thing... we must legislate everything!!!111!!!one!

Quick protect them from themselves!

 

[ViviTheMage]

There are signs on highways that say "MOVE OVER AND SLOW DOWN FOR BLA BLA POLICE BLA BLA OR YOU WILL BE FINED"

Been around since 06 in Minnesota....I follow this rule everytime, I heard the fine is nasty.

 

[Ruptga]

Part of the intent of this law was to make someone who didn't move over and then hit someone civilly liable for any damages they caused.
As it was before, it was an accident and no one could go after the driver.
With the new law, the person injured or the family of the person injured can sue the driver of the vehicle and recover damages.

Well, I guess reactive action is better than nothing :/

It's called a radio

Thanks, Sherlock. So pretend you're a cop giving some guy crap for whatever it was he did when some punk passes by in the near lane at about 70mph. Are you really going to have time to spin around and catch his license plate before he's far enough away that it's illegible? I'm not saying it can't be done, but just how likely is that?

 

[OverVolt]

150 deaths in 9 years is not much to worry about. Those are good odds IMO. Crunching everyone into one lane will probably kill as many drivers in accidents as it has officers if there weren't such a law. Everyone will be trying to squeeze into one lane trying to avoid a ticket and invariably over 9 years someones going to get killed as a result.

I move over as much as possible but I usually don't change lanes. Also, when you get pulled over using common sense when you pick your spot to pull over matters just as much. You can't make a law enforcing common sense since you either have it or you don't at the time. I live in MD so I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[olds]

150 deaths in 9 years is not much too worry about...

Where did you get that number?

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

One more law to help them selectively pull people over. They can use one of the other 20 new laws to search the car. And then they can use one of the hundreds of victimless crime felony laws to put an innocent in jail.

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

 

[Kelvrick]

I try to do this already, but I think its bullshit. Why don't they make the law so that the idiot drivers don't pull over on the freeway? Unless you're on a stretch of highway in the middle of nowhere, exit the freeway and go into a parking lot or side road.

I can already imagine this being abused. How is a person supposed to fight the ticket? Track down the random car that prevented them from moving over somehow and have them come to court?

 

[olds]

I try to do this already, but I think its bullshit. Why don't they make the law so that the idiot drivers don't pull over on the freeway? Unless you're on a stretch of highway in the middle of nowhere, exit the freeway and go into a parking lot or side road.

I can already imagine this being abused. How is a person supposed to fight the ticket? Track down the random car that prevented them from moving over somehow and have them come to court?

If you can't move over you are supposed to slow down.

 

[rh71]

no law in NYS.. interesting.. maybe it's because it'd cause even more traffic in addition to the fricken rubbernecking that goes on already.

 

[OverVolt]

Where did you get that number?

In the link of the OP

 

[bruceb]

I agree with the law and I always either move over a lane or as needed slow down some.