Its Slow Down OR Move Over for Emergency Vehicles NOT BOTH!

Another case for an inexpensive dash cam with GPS recording.

 

I move over and I don't care if its a cop or anything else on the side of the road. I had to change a hose at the foot of the tehachapi grade on eastbound 58 a few months back and most trucks stayed in the right lane even when there was no excuse. It was the middle of the day, traffic was light and you could see me for a mile. Maybe 25% moved over. I was more pissed about these mindless drivers than the busted hose.

 

WY has the move over/slow down law.

 

Its slow down and move over here in BC. Too bad some people just don't care.

Went on Tuesday to pick up a Dodge 3500 on the side of the road with a blown engine. Was in the big International 4300 rollback, lights and 4-ways on. Get just about done chaining it down and go to put a binder on (the driver side of my truck), which was on the side of traffic, and I peek my head out to check for cars. This truck blows by about 12 inches in front of my face(and my truck) doing at least the posted speed limit.

Stand in my shoes when you come up to flashing lights, don't just ignore them.

 

I have been somewhat in your shoes on accident scenes. We are more focused on the accident and the patient. Unfortunately, we cannot always shut the road down for safety.

It is very unnerving to have any vehicle that close to you speeding or not. If you slip, you could be gone in a second.

I have never understood why people would not slow down or move over anyway.

 

I've been there man -- with the accident scenes, I mean.
I think the biggest reason people don't slow down or move over is that they're not paying attention. They're looking about 5 feet in front of the bumper of their car, then when the flashing lights DO get their attention, it's too late to move over, so they MIGHT just tap their brakes for a second, but that's more so they can see what happened than out of any concern for emergency workers.

 

Exactly. The only diference being, people see your red lights and they actually respect them and most of the time will slow down, if not for the law, to gawk. They see the yellow lights on my truck and it just doesn't matter. Everyone and there mom runs around with flashing yellow lights on their vehicle, people are desensitised(if thats the word) to them. Oh well, that's a rant that belongs elsewhere.


Just everyone one be smart and slow their ### down.

 

We're a bit lucky here. We can run the full police light bars, are classed as full on emergency vehicles, and sometimes even have police radios. Still doesn't stop people from blowing by at full speed. When I was still towing, I'd snatch the vehicle up with the minimum I could get away with and pull on up the road to somewhere safer to secure it properly. I'm considering getting into it again since I'm burnt on OTR and a bit too far from the city to drive in for a daily driving job so I'll be out playing in traffic again.

 

Why not both? How many times have you come up to a situation in the middle of the night where up ahead you have flashing lights on the right. so you get into the left lane. With the lights practicaly blinding you to what is going on, and once you get ontop of them you realize its not on the shulder but an accident spread across the road.

 

As soon as I see somrthing, anything, on the shoulder I indicate my turn and move over. If, I cannot get over due to traffic on my lrft I hit my four ways and start slowing down. I will usually drop down to 40 as I'm going past. Then I reaccelerate, I lose lose what? 2 minutes? The same thing going thru construction and I see a flagger with a slow sign, then I drop to 20, 25. The time I lose is nothing compared to the safty of someone else.
Just Saying.
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