Our Opinion: Legislators move to expand 'Move Over' law

Thursday, February 23, 2012

If you’ve ever suffered a vehicle breakdown on a busy highway, you have some idea of the peril associated with standing only a few feet from speeding traffic.

That danger is experienced on a daily basis by some law enforcement officers, emergency responders and highway workers.

A proposal being considered by lawmakers would expand the state’s “Move Over” law to include Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) vehicles with flashing amber or white lights.

The existing law is designed to enhance safety for personnel when their emergency vehicles are stopped on a roadway shoulder and displaying flashing lights.

Motorists approaching those vehicles are required to move over by changing lanes, when safe to do so. If they cannot change lanes, drivers must reduce speed and exercise caution.

In addition to adding MoDOT vehicles to the law, the bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, would prohibit passing another vehicle in an area when emergency personnel clearly can be seen working.

Move Over legislation is not a capricious reaction to a conceptual problem.

Instead, it is a response to accidents that have injured or killed personnel involved in highway safety efforts.

Improving our roads, enforcing our laws and responding to emergencies all are jobs that involve risk.

Those efforts are not designed to frustrate and inconvenience motorists; the work is being done to improve conditions on our behalf.

As motorists, our responsibility is to respect their work and minimize their risk.

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dokeus6 1 year, 2 months ago

Why don't they just make it a law that any vehicle that is in hazard's way that the attempt to move over be made instead of just emergency or state vehicles.?

dinger 1 year, 2 months ago

It sounds good and feels good but vehicles other than MODOT have and use amber lights. With the information contained in this editorial you would have to move over for anyone that has an amber light including tractors, mailmen, or any Joe blow that has an amber light which is legal for anyone to own and use. How would you know if it's a MODOT vehicle until you get to it and it’s too late to slow up or pull over without possibly creating more of a hazard by a sudden lane change or braking? Also by including the flashing white lights all one would have to do is flash their headlights to get people to move over to have some fun.

If this is what they want why not just pass a bill that says we have to get over for anything that is on the side of the road then we can all drive in the left hand lane most of the time getting over for everyone and everything that is on the side of the road. Somewhere someone has to take responsibility for their actions and that includes anyone on the side of the road including emergency vehicles and MODOT workers as they have to be aware of their actions as they do work in a hazardous area.

In response to the no passing part that is ridiculous to put in there as you already can’t pass since a two lane road on either a divided highway or two lane road is already shut down to one lane and it’s already a ticketing offence to pass. This would be just plain crazy to enforce on a three or more lane divided highway as they only shut down one lane at a time and leave the others open. In a case such as that it would be unenforceable and should be.

This bill is just another example of lawmakers wanting to get their name on something that’s feel good and doesn’t do anything but add more unneeded laws to the books that are virtually worthless.

Wspahn 1 year, 2 months ago

If they are going to do this just make it a law that vehicles have to move over for any vehicle on the side of the road. A broken down iron worker or nurse or librarian or any other profession is not any less important than a MODOT worker or a policeman. And how about ticketing vehicles loitering in the passing lane as part of the "Move Over" law while they are at it.

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