JEFFERSON — Every day on our nation’s roadways, law enforcement officers put their lives at risk to protect the public. Fifty-two officers were killed in traffic-related incidents in the line of duty in 2015, a 13 percent increase from 2013.
The most dangerous part of an officer’s job is stepping out on the side of the road, whether it is for a traffic stop or to investigate a crash. From 2003 to 2012, 44 percent of 1,540 officers killed in the line of duty were killed in traffic-related incidents.
In an effort to protect those who protect us, every state has Move Over laws, requiring drivers to move over and slow down when approaching stopped emergency vehicles. The problem is that 7 out of 10 people don’t know about the Move Over laws.
The first Move Over law was introduced in South Carolina in 1996 following the death of a paramedic who was struck at a crash scene. In 2012 Hawaii was the 50th state to enact such a law, and now is the time to spread the message.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) has reached out to state and local highway safety partners to help get the word out to every motorist: “Move Over. It’s the Law.”
“It’s far too common,” said Jefferson Police Department Captain Heath Enns. “These emergency personnel work in dangerous situations all the time, but drivers really increase that risk for them when they zoom by and ignore the flashing lights — and the law.”
The 13 percent increase in 2015 in the number of law enforcement officers struck and killed in traffic incidents was a wake up call, Enns said. All drivers need to know the law and follow it in order to protect those who protect us.
The NHTSA has used a similar high-visibility approach in other traffic safety campaigns, such as Click It or Ticket. These tactics have proven helpful in getting the word out about existing laws and the reasons they are important.
Enns stressed the meaning behind the national awareness campaign.
“Many drivers seem to think that moving over is just an optional courtesy when they see law enforcement or emergency vehicles pulled over on the side of the road,” he said. “It’s not optional. Move over. It’s the law.”
Emergency personnel can only do so much to keep themselves safe when they pull over on the side of the road. The rest of the responsibility falls on other motorists. So the next time you see those flashing lights on the side of the road, remember to Move Over. It’s the Law.”
For more information about the Move Over. It’s the Law. campaign, visit the NHTSA website.
This story was produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
