Maryland: Be patient at crash scenes
Six years ago Oct. 1, Maryland implemented the "move over" law requiring drivers to move into open lanes away from police, fire and emergency vehicles tending to roadside emergencies, in an effort to make these men and women a little more safe on busy roads and highways. A week ago, on Sept. 23, Carroll County emergency responders dealt with what seems to be an egregious violation of that law and basic common sense.
A Westminster man has been charged with traffic violations stemming from the incident, in which he allegedly drove around a marked patrol car blocking a crash scene and into the median, where multiple emergency vehicles were located with lights activated, struck the side of a Westminster Volunteer Fire Department ambulance and nearly hit a member of the Westminster fire company outfitted in an orange emergency vest, before driving off.
No one likes to sit in traffic while a crash scene is cleared, but this is the type of behavior that gets law enforcement and emergency personnel responding to a scene seriously injured or worse, killed, and goes way beyond what the "move over" law intends to prevent.
Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel have enough to worry about on a daily basis without the risk of being hit by a vehicle blowing through a clearly marked crash scene being one of those things.
When they respond to a traffic crash, the emergency vehicles are arranged strategically to protect the scene and flashing lights are activated to alert motorists to their presence. This often means traffic is blocked off from one, multiple or all lanes.
Trust us, if the lanes are blocked, it's probably for good reason — not to make you late or your life miserable. Either there are personnel active in that area trying to tend to the individuals involved who might have suffered serious injuries, police could be collecting evidence for crash reconstruction, or there might be debris from the damaged vehicles in the road being cleaned up. They also need to be able to clear the vehicles from the scene safely, and that's why tow trucks were added to the "move over" law in 2014.
For extended delays or at peak travel times, state or local road personnel will often set up cones, flares, detour signs and warning signs to guide motorists.
But even the best efforts can take time and cause delays. We know it's not convenient, but it's an unfortunate reality. Be thankful you're only stuck in traffic and weren't involved in the crash being tended to.
Be patient. The goal is for everyone — you and the emergency responders at the scene — to get where you're going safe and sound.
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