ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE TO CRACK DOWN ON DRIVERS WHO IGNORE THE 'MOVE OVER' LAW
An OPP officer from northern Ontario posted a recent entry on his blog that said, “Please stop hitting us!” His frustration follows in the wake of two officers in one week who were struck by passing motorists while they were parked on the side of the road.
On Jan. 7, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino announced police will be cracking down on drivers who disregard the 'move over' law, passed in 2003 to protect emergency workers and vehicles that are parked on the side of the road.
In one incident, an officer parked his cruiser along Highway 401 ahead of a car that had been involved in a minor collision. Another motorist crashed into the stopped car, forcing it into the cruiser with enough force to send all three people to hospital.
In a second incident, an OPP officer from Nottawasaga detachment was hurt when he was hit by a passing car while he was investigating a vehicle rollover. He was standing by his cruiser as firefighters worked to free the trapped driver when he was hit by a passing van.
In another incident, a fire truck parked at a collision site on Highway 401 was damaged when a driver ran into the back of it, police said.
“The legislation regarding passing emergency vehicles was passed in April, 2003, so it's nothing new,” the commissioner said, saying he has ordered a “crackdown” on violators.
The law requires motorists traveling in the same direction as an emergency vehicle (police, fire or ambulance) that is parked at the side of, or on the road with its lights flashing, to slow down and pass with caution. If the road has two or more lanes, drivers must move over into another lane if they can safely do so.
Kawartha Lakes OPP Inspector Bob Walli said his officers are well acquainted with motorists flying by at high speeds when they're conducting traffic stops.
And, while they will enforce the law, he said it takes awhile for people to remember a relatively-new law.
“It's like when seat belts became law; people who had been driving for years suddenly had to remember that it is the law to wear them,” he said. “Sometimes, it takes awhile for people to get used to it. We just want to remind people of what they have to do when emergency vehicles are stopped on the road.”
He noted that in the City of Kawartha Lakes, most roads are only two lanes. “That makes it harder to move to the left; you can't do that if there is oncoming traffic. But, you must slow right down. You can't keep driving at speed when passing a stopped emergency vehicle.”
Insp. Walli said another problem officers deal with is people who get out of their vehicles during a traffic stop, which means officers have to watch out for that person's safety as well as their own. “We get a lot of that; but we'd much rather people stay in their cars,” he said. “Our officers are trained as to where the safest place is to stand (during a vehicle stop). We shouldn't have to worry that a citizen who got out of the car is going to get hit. So, please, stay in your vehicle and we'll come to you.”
Non-compliance with the 'move over' law is a fine of $400 to $2,000 and three demerit points for a firs-offence conviction, along with possible suspension of the driver's licence Subsequent offences are punishable by higher fines and jail terms of up to six months.
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