Why Move Over/Slow Down Laws Exist

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
03/12/2019 at 19:04 • Filed to: None

This was a bit jarring for me to see on the way to the pet store today. Please keep your phones put away while driving and always move over or slow down for vehicles stopped on the shoulder.

(When I initially reported the stopped truck on Waze it was using my nav screen not my phone).

DISCUSSION (9)

facw > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
03/12/2019 at 19:42

The thing that gets me about move over laws is that they usually only apply to stopped emergency vehicles. I really don’t see why you wouldn’t extend that protection to everyone. If anything, non-emergency vehicles need it more, since they are less visible and have drivers who probably haven’t been well trained on the risks of stopping on the highway.

Urambo Tauro > facw
03/12/2019 at 20:26

I’ve been thinking about that too. I do like how my state gives us the option of moving over OR slowing down for emergency vehicles, meaning that we may maintain speed if we give them a safety margin of one lane-width. And I certainly appreciate that we don’t have to slow down to 45 mph in a construction zone when no workers are present . These rules convey a clear and direct intent about making the road a safer place for workers who are in such close proximity to the road, while making minimal sacrifices to traffic flow effici ency .

But it bothers me that the rules are different depending on whom we encounter. Moving over isn’t even presented as an option for construction worker safety. And it wasn’t until recently that they even specified how much we were expected to slow down for emergency vehicles. But most of all, it doesn’t make sense that we wouldn’t be doing the same for regular civilians.

This brochure even goes out of its way to clarify that we DON’T have to move over if the emergency vehicle does not have its emergency lights activated. Why? Why would they even say such a thing? Why not just tell everybody to move over if possible, and to slow down if unable to merge, regardless of who’s stopped on the shoulder?

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
03/13/2019 at 01:53

Not relevant to this video, but I wanted to say thanks for inadvertently using a clip of Abba’s “If It Wasn’t For the Nights” in one of your videos; that song is my new earworm.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart
03/13/2019 at 02:49

Not sure which video you’re referring to (can’t recall if and when it’s playing in the background) but I used an instrumental version of it here - it’s a good song.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Urambo Tauro
03/13/2019 at 09:39

FWIW, I’ve experienced incidences where semi truck and other traffic, attempting to be safe/polite to cars stopped on the shoulder, have made the much more dangerous decision to merge quickly into the lane of faster-moving traffic. It really just needs to be a best judgement thing - if you have plenty of visibility and can get over and around safely, fine, but if not, cheating over to the center line is probably the best option in a lot of cases.

Related: drivers need to be taught to come to a stop, if at all possible, after a long straight section of highway, and not just after a rise, and to get as far off the road as possible, even entering the grass on the right if feasible (assuming not a flat tire situation ).

Urambo Tauro > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/13/2019 at 11:43

I dunno. O n one hand, c heating the lane markings seems like a good attempt at safety in the name of every little bit helps . But on the other hand, it’s something that really needs to be agreed on in advance by all drivers involved. You can’t just bully your way into the neighboring lane and trust other traffic to accommodate.

At any rate, merging too quickly into the other lane is un acceptable. If you don’t have enough time to signal and merge at a reasonable rate, then you need to accept that you’re still in that nearest lane, and if that means that you have to slow down, then so be it.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Urambo Tauro
03/13/2019 at 11:55

I don’t mean crossing the line, just mean getting close to it to give as much room on the right as possible.

Urambo Tauro > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/13/2019 at 12:05

Oh . Well that’s not cheating then. It might make other drivers nervous to be so close to the edge , but in the lane is in the lane.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Urambo Tauro
03/13/2019 at 12:18

“ cheating over to the center line” =)