Colorado: Officers reminded of Move Over Law
Martin Donohue, a motor officer for the Grand Junction Police Department, is just one of many officers who knows how it feels to get struck by a speeding vehicle. "I really was in a, almost in a state of shock when it happened,” he said. "It really hurt my elbow to be honest with you."
Officers said it is common for drivers to speed by an emergency vehicle, which they said is not a smart idea.
That is why the Move Over Law was enacted in 2005 across all 50 states. This law requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when they see emergency vehicles on the side of the road.
But Chris Wright, a master trooper with the Colorado State Patrol, said it still continues to be a problem. In fact, he said two state troopers in Colorado were killed last year and 134 nationwide since 2005.
Wright said for drivers who do not slow down and change lanes, they will be given a $179 ticket and four points on their license.
“You need to give plenty of room to emergency responders, to road workers, to anyone that you see stopped on the side of the road,” said Heidi Davidson, the public information officer for Grand Junction Police Department. “That's someone's life.”
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