GEORGIA MOVE-OVER LAW
It’s been a law in Georgia for close to five years, yet many people don't know about it or don't follow it. It's called the Move Over Law and it was put in place to keep officers safe but as News Three Night Side Reporter Alice Massimi found, over the past couple of years the amount of officers killed in traffic related accidents has sky-rocketed.
“How are you doing mam? Drivers License and proof of insurance.” Officers do it numerous times every day, in the process coming within feet of cars going 80 90 miles per hour. “It's hard to describe,” explains Sgt Powell Harrelson of the Georgia Office of Highway Safety.
It's a scary experience to most especially when drivers are not paying attention which is why close to forty states now has a Move Over Law.
Anytime you see an emergency vehicle with their lights flashing or a tow truck with their lights flashing the law states that you need to move over to the next lane. If you can’t do that you should at least slow down.
It seems simple enough so we went out one afternoon and followed Pooler Police as they made traffic stops; few cars obeyed the law. Like this dump truck, or this pick up truck, whizzing by despite the fact that an officer was inches away on the side of the road. “It worries us because the statistics say that since 1997 there have been 157 officers killed by just being struck by cars and that number does not include officers who were sitting in their cars who were hit,” says Harrelson.
According to the FBI in 2007 just as many officers were killed by vehicle related crashes than as were shot and killed. Harrelson says that's unacceptable. “Pretty much its common sense. If there is a car on the side of the road whether it’s got flashing lights or not, move in to the other lane if you can and give these people some room,” Harrelson pleads.
It could save a life. Then again if you're really paying attention it shouldn't be too hard to miss flashing lights. If you are caught not obeying the Move Over Law the fine is five hundred dollars.