| From an 11/16 AAA news release. A copy of Virginia's "Move Over" law has been appended at the end of the article.
"AAA & Nation's First Responders Ask Motorists To "Slow Down, Move Over" To Reduce Deaths and Injuries
Homestead, Fla. - 11/16/2007
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver, David Ragan, to assist AAA, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and tow truck drivers in supporting "Move Over" laws to increase safety for roadside workers and stranded motorists.
AAA, the nation's largest organization for motorists, today joined with leading representatives for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and state highway workers to announce the start of a year-long public information and legislative campaign aimed at reducing deaths and injuries among roadside workers and stranded motorists.
The effort has two primary components. One is enactment in all 50 states of "Move Over" laws that cover tow trucks and other roadside assistance vehicles in addition to law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances. These laws require motorists to change lanes to provide an empty travel lane between their vehicle and emergency vehicles along the roadside, or to slow down while approachingand passinga traffic incident, if moving to another lane is not possible.
The second element is a national public awareness campaign that will include the use of public safety announcements and other publicity efforts featuring testimonials from NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver David Ragan. Ragan is the rookie driver of the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion. His father, Ken Ragan, is a former tow truck driver for AAA. Because race car drivers must "slow down and move over" when an incident occurs on the track, and because of his family experience with the hazards of working along the roadside, Ragan is ideally suited to discuss this topic with race fans and other drivers.
Speaking at a national news conference from the Homestead-Miami Speedway, AAA President and CEO, Robert L. Darbelnet said, "AAA has no greater responsibility than to help safeguard motorists who are stranded on the roadside, as well as those who work everyday to protect them. For this reason, we have joined the nation's first-responders as part of the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition to improve roadside safety and are dedicating our 2008 national racing sponsorship toward this effort, with assistance from David Ragan and Roush Fenway Racing."
Other members of the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition present and/or speaking at the Homestead-Miami Speedway news conference included:
Steve Austin, International Association of Fire Chiefs
Charles Andrews, International Association of Chiefs of Police
Charles Meyer, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Paul Sullivan, Federal Highway Administration
Sue Prentiss, National Association of State EMS Officials
"Racing on behalf of AAA's nearly 51 million members this year has meant serving as a role model and spokesman for safer driving wherever I go," David Ragan said. "I also know what it is like to have a family member working late nights on a roadside protecting other people from danger. That's why I look forward to speaking up this year and next for the safety of law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs and tow truck drivers. I want to help them spread the 'slow down, move over' message so everyone gives them the margin of safety they need to do their job."
Each year, approximately 200 roadside workers are killed in crashes and as many as 800 deaths occur among motorists in highway work zones or in locations where motorists are being attended to, according to the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition. Countless more workers and vehicle occupants are injured.
Motorists in 41 states are required to "move over" when they see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle on the roadside, yet public awareness remains low. Just 24 states have laws that specifically include provisions for tow trucks or other roadside assistance vehicles. AAA and its affiliated clubs are working to pass Move Over laws where they do not currently exist, and expand current laws to include road service vehicles.
The National Traffic Safety Management Coalition (NTIMC)is a unique forum where national organizations representing major stakeholders involved in traffic incident response work together. Members are national organizations representing the Emergency Medical Services, Fire, Law Enforcement, Public Safety Communications, Towing and Recovery, and Transportation communities. NTIMC promotes multidisciplinary, multi-jurisdictional Traffic Incident Management (TIM) programs to achieve enhanced responder safety; safe, quick traffic incident clearance; and more prompt, reliable, interoperable communications.
On November 20, 2007, NTIMC will officially announce the launch of the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management, a joint policy statement committing NTIMC member organizations to implementing 18 strategies for improving the way traffic incidents are managed in the United States.
As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at www.aaa.com."
For reference, here is the text of Virginia's "Move Over" law.
"§ 46.2-921.1. Drivers to yield right-of-way or reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency vehicles on highways; penalties.
The driver of any motor vehicle, upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, as defined in § 46.2-920, that is displaying a flashing, blinking, or alternating emergency light or lights as provided in §§ 46.2-1022, 46.2-1023, and 46.2-1024, shall (i) on a highway having at least four lanes, at least two of which are intended for traffic proceeding as the approaching vehicle, proceed with caution and, if reasonable, with due regard for safety and traffic conditions, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that occupied by the stationary emergency vehicle or (ii) if changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, proceed with due caution and maintain a safe speed for highway conditions.
Violation of any provision of this section shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. If the violation resulted in damage to property of another person, the court may, in addition, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than one year. If the violation resulted in injury to another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than two years. If the violation resulted in the death of another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for two years.
(2002, cc. 163, 341.)" |
