Beware of stopped police cars (most all states)

[Laufen zum Ziel]

This probably should be posted in the general section but I felt that this may save someone an expensive ticket so I am posting off subject




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NEW DRIVING LAW - ALL STATES (Very Important!)

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While driving across Arizona a few weeks ago, I observed an Arizona Highway patrolman parked on the side of the freeway with his lights flashing for no apparent reason. I soon reasoned that he was probably waiting for some unsuspecting soul to violate the new law. Beware my friend.

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I received this today. From the size of that fine it seems like it would be best to slow down to 20 MPH under the speed limit AND move over.

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NEW DRIVING LAW (Very Important!)

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I was aware of the move over to outer lane and knew to slow down, but I didn't know about the 20 mph under speed limit. Thought maybe this might be good information to pass on.

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Someone added: This happened to my aunt on the four lane right outside of Dyersburg , TN a few months ago. Her ticket was over $300 and it cost her three points on her license, too. A state trooper and a county cop had someone else pulled over. She slowed down and moved over a little, but not all the way into the other lane. The trooper wasn't understanding at all. Mom was with her and she didn't know about the law either.
NEW TRAFFIC LAW - 2010 If a patrol car is pulled over to the side of the road, you have to change to the next lane (away from the stopped vehicle) OR slow down to at least 20 mph under the posted speed limit. Every state except Hawaii and Maryland and the D.C. has this law. In California , the Move-over law became operative on January 1, 2010 .. http://www.moveoveramerica.com/

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A friend's son got a ticket for this recently. A police car (turned out it was two police cars) was on the side of the road giving a ticket to someone else. He slowed down to pass but did not move into the other lane. The second police car immediately pulled him over and gave him a ticket. He had never heard of the law.

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It is a fairly new law that states if any emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, if you are able, you are to move into the far lane.
The cost of the ticket was $754, with three points on his license and a mandatory court appearance.

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Please let everyone you know who drives about this new law.
It is true (see details at the following web addresses).
This same law applies to tow trucks and medical emergency vehicles like ambulances on the side of the road.

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Move Over, America
http://www.moveoveramerica.com/
More than 150 U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed since 1999 after being struck by vehicles along America's highways, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. To lower that deadly toll, a new coalition of traffic safety and law enforcement groups is launching a nationwide public awareness campaign to protect emergency personnel along our nation's roadsides."Move Over, America" is a partnership originally founded in 2007 by the National Safety Commission, the National Sheriffs' Association and the National Association of Police Organizations. Most recently, the partnership has also received the full support of the American Association of State Troopers. The 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. According to a national poll by Mason Dixon Polling & Research, sponsored by the National Safety Commission:
71 percent of Americans have not heard of Move Over laws;
86 percent support enacting Move Over laws in all 50 states; and
90 percent believe traffic stops and roadside emergencies are dangerous for law enforcement and first responders.
The poll was conducted among 625 registered voters from June 23-25. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent.
Forty three states have passed Move Over laws, which require motorists to Move Over and change lanes to give safe clearance to law enforcement officers on roadsides.* Read more

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Also read more at:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/moveover.asp

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[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Laufen zum Ziel

This probably should be posted in the general section

Yes it should. That's why we have one, and why I had your last non-SH3 thread moved to GT.

[Hitman]

Moving there in 3,2,1 ...

[soopaman2]

What, the traffic cameras aren't making them enough revenue?
I guess the local teachers and police needed a raise.

*flash ahead to 2056*

It is now illegal to go outside your homes, all violators will be shot, and all assets siezed by the state, and fed promptly to the government blob.

Yeah tinfoil, make great hats. But your kids and grandkids won't be laughing.

How petty can we get?

[Oberon]

Probably brought in because of the amount of officers nearly killed, or indeed killed, by traffic whilst arresting or interrogating someone at the side of the road. Like this:







The primary problem here lies not with the law itself, which is well intentioned (if someone draconianly implemented) but the lack of publicity surrounding the law, which may or may not be deliberate.
Hopefully this thread and the Snopes article, as well as the email/facebook post going around which is probably where this is from will help to educate people and help people avoid unnecessary fines.

[Stealhead]

The law seems reasonable to me it only applies to an emergency vehicle Police,Fire,EMT when it is on part of the road or very near to it and has the lights going it is a safety issue people used to just cruise on past at the normal speeds often though they are staring at what is happening on the side of the road and wind up hitting someone or something it is to force people to slow down when the rightly should be.Many wrecker crews are also killed or seriously injured each year.

Even if it is just one cop car how do you know what they are doing?They could be looking for someone on foot or they might have removed something form the road tons of possibilities.

More cops die getting hit by regular motorists than any other way and many other first responders also get killed or injured.In many departments it is considered too dangerous for the officer to stand on the driver side so they approach from the passenger side.

It has been the law in Florida for nearly 10 years now and it actually got voted in by amendment so the majority of the people in the state wanted it and voted for it a rare example of an actually useful law being approved.The law is very well known about in Florida.

The fact that the law is not common knowledge in some states is a failing as to its actual purpose.

Fines from tickets do not go to the cops either they go to the county city or state depending on what kind of LE gave you the ticket and if you where in an incorporated or unincorporated part of a county.Grants are most often what gives cops raises and allows them to hire new ones.How do I know this my buddies wife works in the admins section for the Sanford International Airports Police Department she helps apply for the grants and there is one that looks at traffic performance so watch yourself in June July and August the months that they look at for that particular grant which gives money to purchase equipment.There are grants designed specifically for the hiring of new cops though not for raises for current ones that just me being a smart alec.

Regular citizens can get grants as well so do not feel left out.

[Herr-Berbunch]

I was on an Italian autostrada with a police car up ahead and two police in the road, one lugging a shed tyre, the other one with his hand up to slow/stop me. I came to a standstill about 20' away from the first one, watched the other one struggle with the tyre, eventually he was halfway across the next lane and the closest one waved me on so I stick it in gear and started to move. All of a sudden the same one jumps in front of me and starts shouting in Italian, I shout back in English he comes to my window and shouts more, I shout more - all the time my work colleague if sat next to me saying 'Tony, he's got a gun'.

Indignant, I was in the right and shouted more until the cop took a couple of steps back and pulled his gun. I stopped shouting. The other cop came over and thanked me for stopping and told me to drive. I didn't need telling twice.

After that we arrived at the 'Grotto di Frassasi' (fascinating caves) and got stuck on a German-language tour.

[eddie]

We've had this law for a bit now, too many troopers have been hit while standing near a car they have pulled over. No big deal, slowing down and moving over is better then running a trooper down!

[soopaman2]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

I was on an Italian autostrada with a police car up ahead and two police in the road, one lugging a shed tyre, the other one with his hand up to slow/stop me. I came to a standstill about 20' away from the first one, watched the other one struggle with the tyre, eventually he was halfway across the next lane and the closest one waved me on so I stick it in gear and started to move. All of a sudden the same one jumps in front of me and starts shouting in Italian, I shout back in English he comes to my window and shouts more, I shout more - all the time my work colleague if sat next to me saying 'Tony, he's got a gun'.

Indignant, I was in the right and shouted more until the cop took a couple of steps back and pulled his gun. I stopped shouting. The other cop came over and thanked me for stopping and told me to drive. I didn't need telling twice.

After that we arrived at the 'Grotto di Frassasi' (fascinating caves) and got stuck on a German-language tour.

Your lucky you were not robbed, and at worse shot. Italian cops make NYC cops look like boy scouts. I say that from experience, most of them took corruption, and citizen disdain to a new level. But my experiences come in the south. (Messina)

I won't go into detail, but it involved an American 20 bill, and my cigarettes being lifted from my pocket, then being told in broken english to move on or go to jail. (He pointed at the road, said GO now, and strummed his hands on his batman belt, fingers gently kissing his firearm. )

Good thing everything else was in the trunk with my luggage, or I would have been begging an embassy for the money to come back. Something tells me, they wanted more. I am just happy they didn't molest my old lady.
One hell of a welcome back to the land of my ancestors!

Italy is beautiful though, I would have stayed if they were not 1000 times as corrupt as we were, made me grateful for our jackbooted cops.

I agree though, laws should be known, and if new obscure laws are legislated, then they should inform, even if it costs money. After all, they will be recieving tons of revenue enforcing it, they should at least give us a chance to be law abiding, rather than entrapping us.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Originally Posted by eddie

We've had this law for a bit now, too many troopers have been hit while standing near a car they have pulled over. No big deal, slowing down and moving over is better then running a trooper down!

Florida Highway Patrol -



Cleveland Police and Ohio State Troopers -



Texas Highway Patrol -



Not exactly highly visible are they? Maybe if they'd at least meet the drivers half-way on this . . .

[soopaman2]

You touched on something here Herr-Berbunch.

I work on a road construction crew, and am required to wear a reflective vest, even in the cab of my machinery.

The police unions will never agree, it makes the officers look fat, orange and green is so 80s, plus it makes it harder for them to reach their ticketbook, taser or firearm, complete pain in the backside.
Plus it would negate this law, taking another township revenue producer from them. Then how else would the local township commit graft, there's only so many public contracts they can rig.

[eddie]

Flashing lights on the roof of their cars is usually a dead giveaway that they are there!

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

<snip>

I agree 100%.

Our local cops just changed the paint on most of their vehicles a couple of years ago (although some still have the "old color"), I don't know what they were thinking...

Old Livery:


New Livery:


Good luck seeing that vehicle parked on the side of the road at night if its lights are off.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Yep, you'd think that'd be enough but it obviously isn't.

[soopaman2]

Dark cruisers make it harder for you to see them when they are squatting on the side of the road, reading Screw magazine and manning the radar gun.

I slow down when I see them if I am speeding. But if ya can't see them...Cha ching! Job justification!

So a few get their potatoes mashed. Sad, but their family still gets to suck off the government teat, better benefits than working men get, you know, guys who sweat for a living. I wish I got the same raises government teat drinkers get.

I should have become a cop, shoot people on 5th avenue in NYC, hit civvies and not even get suspended. If someone caps my ass, my wife would get a nice check and be able to sit on her ass all day eating bon bons, playing the sad widow, while Joe Publiq pays more in property taxes to fund this crap.

Then get harrassed by them for going 68 in a 65.

Police bring this crap on themselves, yet they want to restrict us more, because they want to be sneaky or inept.