Campaign to educate, enforce Louisiana's 'move over' law
Every state in the country has a "move over" law, yet law enforcement officers still are dying from being hit by vehicles.Ten officers died in 2015 after being struck by vehicles, the same number as in 2014, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Starting on Monday and through Nov. 20, the annual National Move Over Campaign begins, and agencies in Louisiana and across the country will be educating the public on what the law requires.
They'll also be writing tickets for those who don't obey it. "This campaign is to bring awareness, education, and also we'll have a heavy presence on our multi-lane roadways with enforcement issuing citations to those people who choose not to move over for an emergency vehicle," said Moreau.
According to the website Move Over, America, "move over" laws exist in all U.S. states. Only the District of Columbia does not have one. Louisiana's move over law not only states that motorists shall move to the right for emergency vehicles with activated lights, but it also spells out what motorists must do when they see a first responder on the side of a road with their emergency lights on.
Simply put, move into the opposite lane if traffic conditions allow. If that's not possible, or if you're traveling on a two-lane highway, slow down to "a reasonably safe speed," like 20 mph under the posted speed limit.
Related Links
Links provided with these articles were active and accurate as of the posting of the article to ResponderSafety.com. However, web sites change and the organization hosting the page at the link may have moved or removed it since this article was posted. Therefore, some links may no longer be active.