Maryland: Spirit Ride rolls through Hagerstown to promote Move Over Law
Motorists in Washington County be warned, starting Oct. 1, the sheriff's department will be ticketing drivers who fail to slow down or move to another lane when passing emergency workers or law enforcement officers stopped on the side of the roadway.
Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore said his deputies daily witness drivers violating the Move Over Law, which went into effect in Maryland on Oct. 1, 2010. The law requires motorists to move over or slow down when passing emergency workers or police stopped on the side of the road.
"We will be conducting enforcement the month of October," he said. "You have been warned. If you are not aware of the law, now you are. Beware, we will be there." Mullendore issued his warning Friday, standing in front of "Spirit," a ceremonial casket honoring first responders and tow truck drivers killed by passing vehicles while working on the side of the road. It carries the message: "Slow Down, Move Over."
The casket was part of a ceremony at D&D Truck Repair & Towing in Hagerstown, which brought together law enforcement, tow truck drivers and highway workers, to honor their colleagues who were killed by motorists who did not move over.
Following the ceremony, a procession of some 20 tow trucks, police cars and box trucks rolled through Hagerstown as part of the American Towman Spirit Ride.
Leading the procession was a tow truck carrying the casket, in an effort to drive home the importance of obeying the Move Over Law.
"We are rallying people and trying to draw attention to the dangers police and highway workers face every day," said singer-songwriter Mike Corbin. "Hundreds of roadside professionals are casualties each year of roadside incidents. About 100 of them are fatalities. Among first responders killed, 60 percent are tow operators."
Corbin, who built the casket and composed the American Towman Spirit Ride's anthem, "Booms in the Sky," travels with his wife, Ilce, across the country holding similar ceremonies and casket processions to promote safe driving.
In 2017 and 2018, 250 towing companies across the country will participate in the Spirit Ride to promote the Move Over Law, with processions involving 5,000 tow trucks and emergency vehicles, a press release states.
In Maryland, a violation of the Move Over Law is a primary offense and carries a fine of $110 and one point on a driver's license. If the violation contributes to a traffic crash, the fine is $150 and three points.
The fine is $750 and three points if the violation contributes to a traffic crash resulting in death or serious injury, according to Maryland State Police.
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