MSP to beef up highway 'move over' law enforcement

December crash in York, Maine, involving this cruiser resulted in injury to the trooper inside. The trooper is recovering. (Maine State Police phoro)

AUGUSTA, Maine - After six State Police cruisers were struck by other motorists in the past six weeks, Maine Troopers have begun to beef up enforcement of the state’s “move-over” law.  That statute requires motorists to slow down and give police and other emergency vehicles room, while they are stopped along the highway with their emergency lights activated. The law says motorists should merge into an adjacent lane, if it is safe to do so, otherwise slow down. Three cruisers were struck last week and another three were struck in December. The Chief of the State Police, Colonel Robert Williams said, “This is serious. When you see a police officer stopped along the road with their emergency lights on – it’s time to slow down and move over to give them room to work.”
Last week State Police cruisers were damaged in Portland, Brewer and north of Lincoln. In each case, the troopers were stopped along the Interstate with their emergency lights on. Three similar crashes involving Troopers took place during December, in York, Manchester, and Sanford. Of the six crashes - four Troopers were injured.
On Monday evening (1/13), Troopers along the turnpike stopped 40 vehicles in two hours in the Portland area as part of a beefed up enforcement campaign. While one trooper had stopped a vehicle for a violation, three other troopers were nearby monitoring traffic and issued 40 summonses for various violations, including 11 for not moving over. Colonel Williams said the additional enforcement of the “move-over” law will continue, all in an effort to remind motorists to move over when encountering a police cruiser, fire truck, ambulance or wrecker, stopped along the road with its emergency lights on. The fine for such a violation is $311.
Williams said, “The move over law is designed to reduce the risk to emergency workers stopped along the highway.  Motorists can do their part by giving those workers room to do their jobs and helping to keep everyone safe.”
Maine law requires motorists to move over and slow down.   Title 29-A, Section 2054 reads --
 Stationary vehicles.  The operator of a vehicle passing a stationary authorized emergency vehicle using an emergency light or a stationary wrecker using its authorized lights, with due regard to the safety and traffic conditions, shall:

A. Pass in a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle or wrecker, if possible; or [2007, c. 348, §20 (AMD).]

B. If passing in a nonadjacent lane is impossible or unsafe, pass the emergency vehicle or wrecker at a careful and prudent speed reasonable for passing the authorized emergency vehicle or wrecker safely. [2007, c. 348, §20 (AMD).]