Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Over the last decade, more than 170 police officers in the U.S. lost their lives in the line of duty when they were struck by a vehicle while responding to an emergency.

Thousands more officers suffered a serious injury in similar scenarios.

This summer will mark 10 years since the "Move Over" law took effect in Florida as part of an effort to reduce first responder injuries resulting from car accidents in Fort Myers and elsewhere in the state.

One of those here locally was Deputy Margena Silvia Nunez, who was killed in 2006 in Lehigh Acres while directing traffic at the scene of a fatal accident. She was struck and killed by a drunk driver.

Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys applaud the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to ensure our safety. We should be doing everything we can to ensure their safety is also protected.

Now, officials from the Florida Highway Patrol are teaming with two other states to raise awareness and enhance safety of emergency workers.

For the month of February, law enforcement in Florida, Alabama and Georgia will be on the lookout for drivers who fail to move over for emergency crews along interstates and highways. Violators will be ticketed, and warned of the real and dangerous consequences that can result from failing to follow the law.

The Move Over law basically says this: Whenever a driver on a two-lane road sees an authorized emergency vehicle to their right with flashing red and blue lights, the driver should move over and/or slow down to give the police and medical crews enough space to safely do their job.

If it's not possible to move to the next lane, the driver must slow down to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit, unless a police officer directing traffic indicates otherwise.

This law has been adopted by most states in the country, with some, such as New York, even extending those protections to construction crews and tow truck drivers. The only areas that don't have a Move Over law, as of yet, are Hawaii and Washington D.C.

Those who violate the law face a citation, points on their license and probably fines.
Col. David Brierton with the Florida Highway Patrol, said drivers put emergency workers at serious risk when they drive too close and too fast.

In addition to the high death and injury toll that can result from these crashes, highway patrol officials report there were nearly 1,800 law enforcement vehicles struck by motorists who were driving too close. These crashes resulted in five deaths and nearly 420 injuries.

Each was preventable.

While the media has reported extensively about the law over the last several years, the state has also committed thousands of dollars over the last 10 years to making the public aware, through everything from billboards and television commercials to internet campaigns and even information printed on gas pump stickers. There is practically no way a motorist in Florida could be in the dark about the law and its consequences.