Ohio: Highway Patrol Urges Drivers to Acknowledge Move Over Law
I was handling a crash on the side of the road and somebody didn't slow down, or more over when my patrol car was sitting there with the lights on," Lieutenant Christopher Kinn was hit for the first time by a passing driver in 2011 when he was helping another driver on the side of the road. He ended up in the hospital with two broken legs among other injuries. "Any state trooper that's been out there on the road for any length of time will tell you they've had numerous close calls of people just whizzing by, just about taken their arm off with their mirrors, it's a terrible feeling, it's a helpless feeling," said Lt. Kinn.
Officers say many Ohioans are unaware the move over law exists. "If you're traveling a 4 lane road where there's a divided highway and there's an adjacent lane you should try to slow down and move over to the adjacent lane to give a little bit more of a buffer between the roadside worker and your vehicle," said Van Wert Post Commander, Lieutenant Tim Grigsby, "If it's impossible, let's say you have a line of traffic in that left lane, you just can't get over, at least slow down.
From the left side of the driver's seat you can't see how close you really are. "From their view point there's 10, 12, 15 feet, but when you are standing on a white line and talking to somebody, and somebody drives by, I've almost been clipped before, had I not been paying attention," said Lt. Grigsby.
Simply moving over could save a life. "I'm a state trooper, but I'm also a husband, I'm a father, I'm a son, I'm a brother, put that in perspective, would you want your loved ones, a car rushing past them at 70 miles per hour? You wouldn't," said Lt. Kinn.
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