Question about ~Move over for Flashing lights Law~

I am agree with most of what you say. However, I'd rather some dumb ### reared me that to run over someone on the shoulder. It's nice that you want them to see that you see them. But what if they don't see you? There could be a struggle, they could trip, there are lots of reasons why they could possibly step out in front of you. Just saying.

 

make sure they see you and communicate your intentions

for instance: detect presence of potential danger early and seek eye contact by using your turn/hazard signals and ensure your signal has been heeded before proceeding

as Dave_in_AZ explained, this is not readily applicable in this situation because as you know, most 4-wheelers are not situation-aware of anything besides what is happening inside their car and what is happening directly in front of their car (in that order)

but your professional efforts to detect and communicate timely will likely improve the instant situation on the road and help the lawyers in your defense later, god willing, IMHO

 

I think it's more of an awareness of the situation, and most LEO's now conduct "business" from the passenger side, and are usually full aware of what's coming. It's their job. If you can't move over, just letting off without a hard braking event, is usually all that's required. Besides, a "hard braking event" used to show up on my computer readout. 3 of those, and you get a disciplinary.

 

62mph truck pulling doubles, downhill grade, 5th wheel camper stopped on shoulder of EXIT lane on right, trooper on scene with lights. Small deer laying dead on white line of LEFT lane and traffic flowing ok in left lane. Trooper decides he needs to run across the exit lane and 2 travel lanes to pull deer into ditch and all hell breaks loose. 4 wheelers panic and slam on their brakes and cause evasive maneuvers by those behind as everybody is scrambling for space as speeds drop below 30mph in an instant. I return to right travel lane while hard braking as I'm not sure what those in front are going to do. In this case all ended ok but the trooper caused a very unsafe situation by running across the interstate which caused everyone that had moved over to the left to have to make another decision/maneuver. Had the trooper checked on the occupants that hit the deer and then using his car to shield himself worried about the deer afterwards this mess could've been avoided.

 

In our state you have to move to left lane. As soon you are aware there is a smoky a mile ahead with a customer or whatever, you already should be moving over long before you get there.

you already should also be slowed enough to make room in front of you for people who will stop or do something stupid. You wont have room to do a #### thing if you are also on the tailgating.

You also are a problem if you wait to the last minute to move over. And I can go on stacking more on you and you and you. If you have knowledge of something up ahead a mile or two or whatever, do move over now. While everyone is generally spread out and not yet reacting up there.

If you cannot get out into the left, then slow down a little bit. But not too much to become a problem.

One of the reasons you have to be professional is the ability such as under the Smith System to be aware of a potential problem and already do what you need to do so that when you get to that spot you are not adding to the problem.

I can go on, but it's really basic and if people were good about this from the beginning, the states would not have made new laws to enforce common sense. But it is what it is. We are so stupid and so bad at moving over or not slowing down so they feel the need to make laws.

I can go further, but there is no point. It's really such a simple scenario. If you know something ahead, fix the problem before you actually get there.

 

Except in several states you have to do both. TX, AR, MT, CA, CT and I stopped reading after that.
Here is a list http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/move-over-law/

 

Does wiggling the trailer after you have had it on for the last mile but ####### hangs there on the corner of your trailer count as communication?

 

Good point, it just depends on the situation I guess.