FORSYTH SHERIFF ASKS DRIVERS TO 'MOVE OVER'

Cpl. Richard Thompson is a member of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) division, so dealing with dangerous drivers is nothing new. But according to him, the ones who get pulled over are only half the battle. Once an officer gets out of the car on the side of a busy road, the safety of everyone involved is put in danger by drivers who don't follow Georgia's Move Over Law.

The law -- which has been on the books since July 2003 -- states that if you see an emergency vehicle pulled over on a road with more than two lanes, merge to the outer lane to avoid it. If that isn't possible, slow down to a safe speed or stop if necessary. If not, you could face a $500 fine.

The law was enacted to try and stem the growing number of police officers who are killed each year in "after the stop" traffic accidents. In 2007, 186 police officers were killed on duty, 47 of those in traffic accidents. "A common misconception is that it's just for our safety, but we're responsible for driver safety as well," he said. "With cars zipping by at 70 or 80 mph 2 to 3 feet from the car, its completely unsafe."

There are a host of other dangers the law safeguards against, said Thompson, including drivers who don't pay attention when merging back into traffic after a stop and drivers who accidently stare at the cruiser's flashing lights and inadvertently steer toward them. "It's not uncommon," he said.

So far Forsyth County deputies have just been handing out warnings unless there is an egregious violation of the law. Thompson said most times deputies hear from people that they just weren't aware of the rule. But that's likely to change this Memorial Day, he said, when deputies hit the streets to catch seat belt and DUI violators.

Thompson said he knows deputies aren't going to be making any friends handing out the $500 fines, but if forced to choose between safety and money woes, it's a no-brainer. "It's just a matter of time before somebody gets hurt," he said.