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While it is human nature to want to check out the situation when driving up to a scene full of flashing emergency lights along I-4, the smart thing to do is to give emergency responders and law enforcement room to safely do their jobs.
It’s also the law.
Florida’s Move Over Act, passed in 2002, requires drivers to slow down and give emergency vehicles room when an incident occurs on the side of the road. The law is intended to ensure the safety of emergency and law enforcement personnel, and drivers while accidents or other roadway incidents are handled.
Drivers should remember the following whenever they see flashing lights ahead on the highway:
- Make sure to approach slowly and cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped ahead with its lights flashing.
- If on a multi-lane highway, change lanes away from emergency vehicles and personnel if safe to do so, unless directed to do otherwise by a law enforcement officer.
- When approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing on a two-lane roadway, decrease your speed to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit, to a minimum of five miles per hour, unless directed to do otherwise by a law enforcement officer.
Disobeying these statutes is against the law and may result in fines.
To see exactly why the Move Over Act is so important, check out “Your Vest Won’t Stop This Bullet,” a video showing how emergency responders and law enforcement officers risk their lives every day along I-4 and other roads across the nation.
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