A group of legislators recently pressed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for a review of the nation’s Move Over laws following multiple accounts of police officers being struck and killed by vehicles while stopped.
Those laws, which vary state to state, demand that passers-by move over when spotting first responders stopped alongside busy roads. The theory behind them is to prevent the injury or deaths of those officers in the field, but the results have varied. Now, U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), as well as U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), want those very laws examined more closely.
“According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, traffic-related incidents continue to be one of the leading causes of death among on-duty law enforcement officers,” the Members of Congress wrote in a joint letter. “Since 1997, more than 150 law enforcement officers have been struck by vehicles and killed while they were stopped along highways. ‘Move Over’ laws are designed to protect emergency responders, workers and others who are stopped on the side of the road by requiring motorists to shift lanes and/or slow down; however, States continue to report numerous incidents of drivers failing to move over and crashing into emergency responders and others.”
In their letter, the members specifically asked to hear about the efficacy of these laws, any federal funding and other assistance available for state-by-state education on Move Over law requirements, and the challenges faced by those states seeking to implement such laws. They are looking towards recommendations for congressional action that will help guide future policies.