Representing a car accident victim the other day in Jacksonville Traffic Court, I noticed a man there who received a citation for not moving over a lane as he passed a parked Florida Highway Patrol vehicle. The man defended that he did not know of the law. I’m sure that many people are not aware of the law. I recently heard about a campaign to crack-down on violators of the move over law, but wasn’t aware the law had been in effect for so long. The law was enacted in 2002. The law requires you to move one lane away from parked law enforcement or emergency vehicles with flashing lights. If that is not possible, the motorist is required to slow down 20 mph under the speed limit while passing the vehicle. The law also applies to construction workers on the side of the road.
During the Move Over Florida enforcement wave, nearly 1,500 warnings and citations were issued. I was surprised to learn that over 1,793 law enforcement vehicles were hit during the five year period 1996-2000. These Florida accidents resulted in hundreds of injuries and 5 deaths. Law enforcement and other public safety worker’s jobs are dangerous enough without having to worry about getting hit by a passing car. Next time you pass a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights on, remember to either move a lane over or slow down by 20 mph.