May 11 Motorcycle Awareness Month
Today lets discuss Emergency Vehicles on the side of the roadway. In many states it is the law that you must move over and/or slow down when going past an emergency or construction vehicle on the side of the road. You can receive a ticket if you do not. I know in Illinois last summer they were doing “Scott’s Law” enforcement where they did not correctly pass them, they radioed to another unit who would then pull you over down the road.
As a first responder who works with accidents along the roadways, I have first-hand knowledge as to how dangerous it is. Just think about standing on the edge of the hi-way with traffic going 80 to 90 MPH just a few inches from you. Please, for all those Emergency Vehicles there are people that are either inside them or working outside them. They all have families they want to return home to. Please Slow down and move over.
We have a policy in Leather & Lace MC about this and here it is:
For the purpose of this policy, an emergency vehicle is any police, fire, ambulance, tow truck or construction vehicle that has flashing lights and may be stopped along the edge of the roadway.
When coming up on an emergency vehicle on the side of the road (along the lane you
are traveling in) with its emergency /warning lights in operation, the pack should be
moved to the next lane over, if possible. If it is not possible to move to the next lane,
the pack should be signaled into single file formation along the lane edge farthest away
from the emergency vehicle, and slow down as they pass. Once you are past the
stopped emergency vehicle you may then resume your previous formation and speed.
Here is more information on Scott’s law and emergency vehicles:
https://www.driverdefenseteam.com/tickets/failure-to-yield-emergency-vehicle-scotts-law/
