Here’s a word of warning for all of you RVers out there. There is a law on the books that you may, or may not know about. It’s actually a common sense law, so there’s really no excuse for not heeding it: “The Move Over Law“.
If a patrol car has pulled over to the side of the road, you have to move over to the next lane (away from the stopped vehicle) and slow down a minimum of 20mph. You may be shocked to know that every state except Hawaii, Maryland, New York and the District of Columbia has this law in place.
In California, the “Move Over Law” was signed into law on January 1, 2010. For some people, this was a very expensive surprise. A son of a friend recently got a $754 ticket for NOT moving over! A police car was stopped on the side of the road and the officer was out of his vehicle and in the process of issuing a ticket. The young man slowed, but didn’t change lanes. A second officer, who was behind the young man immediately pulled him over and gave him a ticket. Of course the law was news to this young man, but unfortunately, “I didn’t know it was a law” doesn’t hold up in court.
Take a look at the video below and you’ll see why this law is extremely important. (The Officer at the beginning of the video was OK in case you were wondering…and I know you will be.)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n2pvYsCmw8
The Move Over America campaign is the first nationally coordinated effort to educate Americans about Move Over laws and how they help protect the law enforcement officers who risk their lives protecting the public.
Remember, it is your responsibility as a RVer to not only know all of the laws on the road, but also use your head and give other drivers and law enforcement the space they need to conduct their activities safely and without worry. Besides, who can really afford a $754 ticket? I know I certainly can’t. Besides, just think of how you could spend that money out on the road!