Move over law

I was driving down 101 with my wife and there was a CHP who had someone pulled over in the emergency lane I didn't even know it was a CHP because they didn't have the red and blue's on. I was in the slow lane. As I passed the cop car she said she had heard there is a new law that went into effect Jan 1 2010 and it was somthing along the line's of when you see a cop pulled over on the side of the road you are supposed to pull over 1 lane or slow down by 20 mph????. Well she sent me the Snope's on it to day
http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/moveover.asp
In some cases I can see this as just another reason to pull you over and suck money out of you. And in other case's I can see this causing accidents people slamming on the brakes and changing lanes at the last min to avoid a ticket. How many times have you been trucking along at 65 Mph on the freeway and the IDIOT in front of you see's a cops pulled over on the side of the road giving a ticket and he slams on his brakes Thinking the cop giving a ticket on the side of the road is some super cop, How's this cop gonna get his speed in the 3rd lane over in busy traffic while doing a traffic stop and all of a sudden jump in his car and track him down ect Some people are so stupid they shouldn't be behind the wheel. Knowing how stupid people are, I think it's B.S. If you can't pull someone over in a safe place then instruct them off the freeway to a safe place that's the cops job. The freeway is a place to drive 65 MPH NOT 45MPH. Im all for cops being safe and everyone going home at the end of the night. I have seen some cop's pull people over in the most dangerous/stupid places "FOR NO REASON" Some people are so stupid as soon as the light's come on the just stop. IMO the cop's should get on the loud speaker and instruct them to pull over somewhere safe (LIKE OUT of traffic). In some situations you have no choice a car stall's in a tight place and you can't help it Yea in this case I say they use the light's to instruct on comming traffic to move over. Some cop car's have amber light's on the roof that sequence to the left or the right Cal trans has them on their car's. When the cops are in a tight spot sure use these lights urge people to move over for safety.
What I see is a situation where the cop's have someone pulled over and its not safe or there is no room to merge and you go by them and Boom your busted.

Interesting.

Not sure if you knew, but the law is 200' and 5mph if a boat is stopped and boarded by law enforement.

We've had this law in oklahoma for a while now. There are even signs along most highways telling you to slow down or move over. I'm not sure what the highways in California are like, but in Oklahoma they are pretty bad. A lot of them have very narrow shoulders so i can understand the need for this law. Even if it saves one life it is worth it. Anyways, i've always made a habit out of pulling to an inside lane if i see someone pulled over onto the shoulder, even if it looks like an abandoned vehicle. All it would take would be for them to get caught up when stepping out of the car and stumble into into the road.

I think that the same law went into affect in WA last year at some point. Very annoying, I get the basics of it. Don't hit parked cars on the side of the freeway, but as pointed out, people are idiots and don't pay attention. Then out of nowhere slam on their brakes or make sudden lane changes, or fixate and hit things off to the side of the road.

When I pass a trooper with someone pulled over, I make an effort to give them some space, no issues so far. It's just what we need too during rush hour times, someone is pulled over and that effectively reduces things by one lane causing more congestion.

Another thing I can see this causing is even more traffic. Example cop has someone pulled over on a 2 lane road everyone is slowed down to rubber neck, Now I can see the idiots trying to merge in a already congested 2 lane road that's going stop and go speed to move over because they are afraid of getting a ticket. I guess what I have a problem with is the law is not cut and dry, and people being to stupid to understand.

Yeah, ive seen that one a few times. Some bonehead is cruising along at 75, not paying attention, and when they notice the officer on the side of the road, they slam on there brakes and fly into the middle lane, cutting off someone else. It all comes down to people being responsible, and paying attention when they're driving, which, sadly is too much to ask of some people.

It's not a new law in Ca. If they don't have a red or amber light on it doesn't apply. If you can't safely or legally change lanes then you are not required to do so.

It's not a law that says "A cop has a guy pulled over so you have to move over". It's about emergency vehicles for whatever reason, citations included...but also accidents, disable vehicles being treated by a tow company, and now Caltrans vehicles as well.

Isht happens, and we can't always choose where or when. Just because the speed limit is 65 on a freeway, doesn't mean that drivers should cruise along not paying attention. To think that people shouldn't have to keep their heads up in case there is a reason to slow down seems like a silly argument.

The cops love to write that ticket here! They got my buddy a few weeks back as he was coming over a hill on a major freeway here. According to his lawyer, somewhere around 20 other drivers got the same ticket from the same officer that day

It's a law because that is required nowadays for common courtesy type things. Safety too. When someone is on the side of the road, pull over if possible, or slow down to make the situation safer. I think safety and lives are more important than traffic and convenience.

I recently blew a left rear tire on the highway, and couldn't believe the amount of people that just blew right next to me while I changed the tire, and in many cases they had ample room and time to change lanes, just didn't, and put me in greater harm.

Here in Arkansas, we've had a law that tells us to move over a lane or slow down if that isn't possible.

I like the law, nobody want's a cop to die doing their job.

Thats the law here in CO. Got pulled over and got a ticket for not moving over a lane. Pissed off, I went to court and it was dismissed. I could not pull over due to other cars in the lane and I simply could not do it. Was highly annoying.

I was in MI and passed a cop on the side of the road in the right lane. My g/f explained to me that I had to move over into the left lane and that was in 2006. It just finally came to CA. *shrugs*

fairly new here in Tx, but it's one of their favorites!

we've had this law for a while in NC.

Great law IMO.

I like the law that states I have to travel in the right lane unless passing someone. Where I live deer strikes are extremely common. Guess where deer come from? Most of the time they come out of the brush on the right side of the highway. Rarely from the median. I travel in the left lane almost exclusively. I'd rather get a ticket than take a deer in the grill at 75.

^^^ Good point. Kansas just passed that law. They're giving warnings for the first year.

It's not the cops fault. It's the driver being pulled over fault. The cop has to stop where ever the driver stops. If the driver stops in a dangerous place, that's where the cop stops. It's also worth noting that the driver has the right to drive until he/she finds a place they feel comfortable with that may be populated. The driver has the right because of incidents where women were pulled over in secluded places by individual posing as cops, but weren't actually cops.

We have that law here in IA I believe. It's pretty much common courtesy to change lanes on major roads or give some breathing room on back highways to ANYONE pulled over. Granted, we don't (mostly) have the kind of traffic you're talking about here, but it's the same deal.

Look at the stats of Officers dying. People think its from shootings. Car accidents is #1 by far. Of those, the #1 cause of death of CHP is bone head drivers going off the road and hitting them. Even if there is enough room on the shoulder, people tend to drift towards those pretty blue and red lights.

Not sure if you knew, but the law is 200' and 5mph if a boat is stopped and boarded by law enforement.

I got pulled over for that very same thing on Tulloch last summer. I slowed down but not to 5mps. Next thing you know, I'm light up...just a warning.

T