WISCONSIN’S ‘MOVE OVER LAW’ DESIGNED TO HELP KEEP OFFICERS SAFE

A car hit a Milwaukee county deputy Friday morning as he was investigating another crash on I-94. Witnesses say the deputy was standing on the side of the road when a vehicle lost control and hit him, throwing him more than 30 feet in the air. Law enforcement officers say the chances of getting hit on the side of the road is something they have to deal with every day. But Wisconsin does have a law in place meant to help keep those people safe. Lt. Jeff Lorentz says the ‘Move Over Law’ requires all drivers to slow down and move over when they see flashing lights on the side of the road. That not only includes police cars, but emergency trucks, maintenance vehicles, tow trucks and snow plows. Right now, State Patrol officers usually approach a stopped vehicle on the passenger side. Lt. Lorentz says many officers also wear reflective vests or jackets. But he says one of the most important pieces of gear is good common sense. "We think of at-risk situations on the Interstate or on the highways out there so often, and we talk about guns and drugs and knives and anything else that's out there, but I can tell you from a personal perspective and experience, that really the most dangerous thing out there is the traffic itself,” Lt. Lorentz said.

Lt. Lorentz says he’s worked in law enforcement for more than two decades, and during that time, his vehicle has been hit on the side of the road five different times. "It happens when you least expect it and I am very fortunate, my worst-case scenario, I have two screws in my right shoulder from a previous crash." Lt. Lorentz says these accidents tend to get worse when the roads are icy, so drivers must be extra cautious during the winter months. Officers say sometimes drivers do get by the ‘Move Over Law’, simply because it is hard to enforce. But Lt. Lorentz says you can’t beat the laws of physics.