I hate this new and dangerous "safety" law

In the name of protecting cops, we have a law that requires you to change lanes if you see a cop on the side of the road. If you can't change lanes, you have to "slow down". No set speed, just "slow down".

We've almost been creamed several times now due to this stupid law. People seeing a cop and slamming on their brakes on the interstate, and driving past the cop at 10 mph. Or just swinging to the left, regardless of who's there and how fast they are going. No need to look or think, just obey the law and swing to th left. Invariably, lots of skidding and swerving, and of course crashes, all in the name of "safety".

They just made some noisy announcements that the cops are going to be staging fake traffic stops just to enforce this new law. Lovely.

foxtrapper wrote: We've almost been creamed several times now due to this stupid law. People seeing a cop and slamming on their brakes on the interstate, and driving past the cop at 10 mph. Or just swinging to the left, regardless of who's there and how fast they are going.

we have the same law here. I suspect that the reason I haven't had similar experiences is that I live in a semi-rural area.

Same thing in Florida for any emergency vehicle. You have to slow 20mph under the limit if you cant move to the next lane.

Honestly, after having to change a tire on I-95, I can understand it. People fly by less than 3 ft from your car.

I always see people changing lanes but not like you describe, never heard of this law though

Common courtesy to give police/broken vehicles/tow trucks a lane where I come from. If you've ever had to change a highway side tire you fully understand the need for rules like this.

I never got the need for this to be a law. I figured it was just common decency to move over from a car that's broken down, or an emergency vehicle on the side.....

Until one day I broke down on 267 here in VA. It's like a 10 lane highway with almost no traffic on a Sunday afternoon. In an hour maybe 2 people in the right lane moved over.

I watched in the rear view mirror of the tow truck as its driver was literally inches from being hit 2 or 3 times. It was absolutely insane. It really brought my faith in humanity down a notch.

I still don't agree with it being a law but I can see the point.

Ive known a police officer who was almost killed when he was struck in a 35mph zone. I wish police officers would approach on the passenger side, but that is not always the safest option for other reasons.

In Missouri, any area with emergency lights flashing from a vehicle designates that area a "temporary emergency zone".

I'm fine with it. Over time people have started moving over and police are ticketing drivers who don't.

gofastbobby wrote: Common courtesy to give police/broken vehicles/tow trucks a lane where I come from. If you've ever had to change a highway side tire you fully understand the need for rules like this.

things that cannot be enforced by law:

consideration
humility
morality
religion
intellect

Moving over for stopped traffic is being considerate. Being forced to move over for stopped traffic is asinine. Please see the list above.

This Public Service Announcement was brought to you by The Unilateral Committee of Not Idiots, and by the We're Tired of Being Dragged Down by the Lowest Common Denominator/ End the Race to the Bottom Council

failuer wrote: I never got the need for this to be a law. I figured it was just common decency to move over from a car that's broken down, or an emergency vehicle on the side..... Until one day I broke down on 267 here in VA. It's like a 10 lane highway with almost no traffic on a Sunday afternoon. In an hour maybe 2 people in the right lane moved over. I watched in the rear view mirror of the tow truck as its driver was literally inches from being hit 2 or 3 times. It was absolutely insane. It really brought my faith in humanity down a notch. I still don't agree with it being a law but I can see the point.

When I was a kid I was in my dad's van and we had a serious accident and we were trying to fix the car so it would at least be drivable. People gave us no space at all at highway speeds, it was ridiculously scary. We had to call the cops and they blocked the lane off. It was ridiculous. This was on the Stevenson (i-55) inbound to Chicago.

Being forced to move over for stopped traffic is asinine.

Whats more asinine? Being forced to move over or nobody moving over, lol. The 2nd case was always my experience.

In las vegas people always move over, thankfully.

I drive to LA often, I can't imagine how people are like there with how they drive. Probably that Chicago nightmare x10. I once saw a guy cut off a big rig truck, have his truck bed (f-150) ripped off and doing considerable damage to the rig and drove away taking off at ridiculous speed. Not a single berkeley given.

Slippery wrote: Same thing in Florida for any emergency vehicle. You have to slow 20mph under the limit if you cant move to the next lane. Honestly, after having to change a tire on I-95, I can understand it. People fly by less than 3 ft from your car.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/sanford-man-sought-in-fatal-hitandrun-on-florida-turnpike/-/1637132/22344572/-/oqlh90/-/index.html
http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpps/shared/central-florida-couple-killed-changing-tire-on-turnpike-by-alleged-hit-and-run-semi-truck-driver_8857629

foxtrapper wrote: They just made some noisy announcements that the cops are going to be staging fake traffic stops just to enforce this new law. Lovely.

In PA it's safety personnel. Tow truck, cop, whatever. I try to give room and move over generally but if they are being asshats about it ... then it's a game where I see if I can trap the big tractor trailers in the lane closest to the action.

(not really)

They just made some noisy announcements that the cops are going to be staging fake traffic stops just to enforce this new law.

now that is asinine.

See, to me it's fuicking common sense. Car parked on the side of the road or flashing lights, you move over/slow down. Someone can walk out int front of you unseen. This was simple E36 M3 taught in Driver's Ed. Now it has to be a law?

kanaric wrote:

They just made some noisy announcements that the cops are going to be staging fake traffic stops just to enforce this new law.

now that is asinine.

Its easy enough without the faking. Two cars per REAL stop and pull over the first offending vehicle.

Wait, I'm confused. The complaint is that you've nearly gotten into accidents because people jam on their brakes or change lanes without looking. That's the police's fault? Rule or not, they aren't the ones slamming on their brakes or swerving into another lane without looking. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had a problem with it. I can see the flashing lights pretty far ahead and know to slow down, change lanes, watch other drivers or all of the above. If you nearly rear end someone because they hit their brakes quickly, that's your fault for following too closely. If someone changes lanes blindly, that's their fault for being a clueless driver. I don't see how it's the fault of the rule in place?

Klayfish wrote: Wait, I'm confused. The complaint is that you've nearly gotten into accidents because people jam on their brakes or change lanes without looking. That's the police's fault? Rule or not, they aren't the ones slamming on their brakes or swerving into another lane without looking. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had a problem with it. I can see the flashing lights pretty far ahead and know to slow down, change lanes, watch other drivers or all of the above. If you nearly rear end someone because they hit their brakes quickly, that's your fault for following too closely. If someone changes lanes blindly, that's their fault for being a clueless driver. I don't see how it's the fault of the rule in place?

Because the rule/police are easier to make into the scapegoat of bitching.

Been a law here for a while. I haven't had any issues or incidents because of it. I fail to see the big deal, it makes sense.

After the last two trips to rescue my girl's sister on the side of the road, move the berkeley over. I pretty much held my breathe the whole time both times when cars wizzed past my ass at 70mph.

4cylndrfury wrote:

gofastbobby wrote: Common courtesy to give police/broken vehicles/tow trucks a lane where I come from. If you've ever had to change a highway side tire you fully understand the need for rules like this.

things that cannot be enforced by law: consideration humility morality religion intellect Moving over for stopped traffic is being considerate. Being forced to move over for stopped traffic is asinine. Please see the list above. *This Public Service Announcement was brought to you by The Unilateral Committee of Not Idiots, and by the We're Tired of Being Dragged Down by the Lowest Common Denominator/ End the Race to the Bottom Council*

I agree that there shouldn't HAVE to be rules like this, but we live in Idiocracy and need them.

If you chose to crouch down 3 feet from the shoulder on I-95 to change a tire, that's simply a foolish choice. You can drive on a flat for many miles, finding a safer place to pull over and change it. BTDT, quite a number of times. This law doesn't apply to you anyhow, you don't have the proper colored flashing lights. Your safety isn't considered.

Making it a law that you must change lanes, or "slow down" creates a traffic mess, with the resulting crashes and drama that I've been watching and experiencing. It doesn't make things safer, it makes them more dangerous. It might work in areas that have light traffic and plenty of room, but we've neither here. Lots of traffic, and inadequate congested roads.

Here's an idea for the cops, quit pulling over only half way out of the lane. Tell the car you're pulled over to proceed to a safer spot. There are lots of alternatives to the mess this law creates.

Jerry wrote: After the last two trips to rescue my girl's sister on the side of the road, move the berkeley over. I pretty much held my breathe the whole time both times when cars wizzed past my ass at 70mph.

I rented an RV that had the awning fall off on i88 in upstate NY. There wasn't enough shoulder to get all the way off the highway so I was up on the roof of a 40' pusher with a steep embankment jst on the other side of the rail so it looked like I was 50' off the ground. I was unbolting things with a leatherman tool so we could put them inside and get home. It was terrifying how close big rigs come... and then the wind would the whole berkeleying thing so I had to cling to stuff for a few seconds while my wife and kids were sitting in the ravine yelling encouragement.

Still. Stupid law. Most people make room if they can.

I was given a ticket one time for this. An officer was sitting in the emergency lane shooting radar at night. He had no lights on, just sitting there. I slowed, but didn't change lanes since no one was outside the vehicle. The ticket was for not yielding right of way to an emergency vehicle. It was a court only ticket too.

Went to court, cop didn't show up, judge tossed it out because the officer didn't have his emergency lights on.

I pass a lot of un-marked units on the way home. It doesn't matter to me who they are, I move out of the way up. These cops aren't chasing until someone hits 15+ over.

On my street, I get annoyed if someone doesn't move out of the way when I'm trying to leave or get into my driveway. I find it rather handy to hit the yellows and back in. Is this an shiny happy person move? Probably, but its the only time anyone will be cautious around me.

foxtrapper wrote: If you chose to crouch down 3 feet from the shoulder on I-95 to change a tire, that's simply a foolish choice. You can drive on a flat for many miles, finding a safer place to pull over and change it. BTDT, quite a number of times. This law doesn't apply to you anyhow, you don't have the proper colored flashing lights. Your safety isn't considered. Making it a law that you must change lanes, or "slow down" creates a traffic mess, with the resulting crashes and drama that I've been watching and experiencing. It doesn't make things safer, it makes them more dangerous. It might work in areas that have light traffic and plenty of room, but we've neither here. Lots of traffic, and inadequate congested roads. Here's an idea for the cops, quit pulling over only half way out of the lane. Tell the car you're pulled over to proceed to a safer spot. There are lots of alternatives to the mess this law creates.

Umm... no. You can't. The wife tried driving on a flat for a quarter mile to get to a gas station and as she pulled in the tire rolled off the rim.

6AM on a sunny Sunday morning, my wife and I came upon an upside down pickup in the middle of a 3 lane highway. It was visible for 1/2 mile and traffic was very light. I pulled over to offer assistance to the driver, who was standing on the shoulder. In less than 5 minutes, 3 or 4 vehicles almost hit the crashed car, including a friggin' BUS, which executed a last second emergency lane change. A car load of teenage girls did a full blown, locked tires, panic stop. Help on its way and another person with the driver, I got the hell out of there.

That told me all I need to know about how much attention people pay to their surroundings. Short of being chased by zombies, I'm not intending to ever change a driver's side flat on the side of a highway.