Ever hear of a “Move Over” law?  Well you better take note because you may soon be stopped for failing to move over and it’ll cost you dearly.

Recently I heard of a Montrealer who was stopped on a New York State highway and given a ticket costing several hundred dollars and a mandatory court appearance.  The reason?  She failed to move over to the left lane while passing a State Trooper who was stopped in the break down lane.

After doing some simple research I quickly learned that many US states have so-called “Move Over” laws, enacted as a result of the significant number of police injuries and deaths on US highways, having been struck by oncoming vehicles.

I asked several friends and neighbours if they had ever heard of such a law and not one was familiar with “Move Over”.   You’d think with such a serious potential to strike an officer that such laws, only passed in the last couple of years, would be widely publicized on roadside billboards.

Two weeks ago, returning by car from Boston, I stopped in a Vermont rest stop and found the flyer just below.  It explains it in clear and basic terms.

It seems that interest is growing for such a law on Quebec highways, as evidenced in yesterday’s Granby  Express and tweeted by the Montreal Gazette’s reporter Andy Riga.  A petition is now  circulating, with some 8000 signatures, calling on the Quebec National Assembly to enact a made-in-Quebec “Move Over” law.

Hats off to Chambly Paramedic Patrick Dufresne for launching this petition.  Anything that can be done to reduce the risk to police officers, ambulance technicians and highway crews is well worth consideration.  I’ll be signing this petition and I encourage you to do so too by forwarding this blog post widely.  What do you think?  Do you agree with such a law?  Click Leave a Comment now and share your opinion.

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