Move Over Or Prepare To Pay in FL

If you plan to drive in Broward County Friday and see am emergency vehicle on the side of the road, either move over or plan to dig deep into your wallet.

If you plan to drive in Broward County Friday and see am emergency

vehicle on the side of the road, either move over or plan to dig deep into your wallet. A ticket may be in your future.

Friday, road patrol deputies from the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) will team with the Florida High Patrol to target violators of Florida's Move-Over law.

That 7-year-old law requires driver to either move over one lane or slow to a near crawl when they spot an emergency vehicle, like a police car or ambulance, by the side of the road.

The law was passed after a number of police officers were killed or injured by cars after they were struck during traffic stops or investigating accidents. The law is intended to save the lives of police and other emergency workers who must work on the side of busy highways.

While the law has been on the books for 7 years, police say many drivers still don't slow down or change lanes when they see flashing lights along the roadside.

The enforcement will take place on State Road 869 (Sawgrass Expressway) and Interstate 75 in western Broward until Noon Friday.

If the crackdown catches you, be prepared to pay. The cost of a ticket in Broward County has gone up, and failing to move over will cost you $150.00, up from $122.50.

*Enacted in 2002 in Florida, the law states that:

You MUST safely vacate the lane closest to the stopped emergency vehicle on an Interstate or highway with two or more lanes.

On a two-lane roadway, you MUST slow down 20 miles below the posted speed limit when the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or more.

If the posted speed limit is 20 MPH or less, you MUST travel at 5 MPH.

The fine for a Move Over citation is now $150.00 in Broward County.*