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In Texas, you can slow down to at least 20MPH below the posted speed limit without changing lanes. But, you have to do one or the other or both.
Move over or slow down...It's the Law!
Got this on the mail from by boss... just a heads up for everybody here...
If a patrol car is pulled over to the side of the road, you must change to the next lane (away from the stopped vehicle) or slow down to 20 mph under the posted speed limit if traffic prevents you from moving into that lane. Every state except New York, Hawaii, Maryland and D.C. has adopted this law now.
In New Jersey, the "Move-over" law became operative in 2009, fine up to $500.
http://www.moveoveramerica.com/
A friend's son got a ticket for this recently. A police car (turned out it was 2 police cars) was on the side of the road giving a ticket to someone else. He slowed down to pass but did not move into the other lane. The second police car immediately pulled him over and gave him a ticket. He had never heard of the law.
It is common sense to pull over, and now it is the law. It is a fairly new law that states if any emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, if you are able, you are to move into the far lane. The cost of the ticket was $754, with 3 points on your license and a mandatory court appearance.
In Texas, you can slow down to at least 20MPH below the posted speed limit without changing lanes. But, you have to do one or the other or both.
Move over or slow down...It's the Law!
Was bendoveramerica.com already taken?
Another opportunity for traffic cops to help them hit their quotas.
How about working on tracking down real criminals instead of popping drivers with their bop guns? I know, it's not as rewarding for law enforcement agencie$.
Such is life in these allegedly "free" United States. Life was not meant to be regulated to the point of genized absurdity. The volume of laws which government at all levels annually vomits upon the people serves to make criminals out of honest people and to provide criminals with the ability to portray themselves as honest within the technical confines of the legal morass.He had never heard of the law.
Considering that the police seem to think the worst crimes involve what someone wishes to put in his own body, I'm not so sure I want them doing their jobs.
Not to mention that enforcing such prohibitions can be rewarding for law enforcement agencies. Of course, at some point the public has to support this amount of regulation.
Motor vehicle laws are interesting in that it takes very little to get a license to operate a vehicle weighing a ton, capable of traveling at high speeds and carrying a fair amount of an explosive substance. Most Americans go through an onerous and lengthy public schooling process so as to ensure they are competent citizens and employees, yet receive scant training to become licensed drivers and are essentially expected to figure it out on their own.
Most likely this little bit of relative liberty in a "free" land will be whittled away over time. The "privilege" aspect of driving will be played up and the dangers of driving will serve to justify greater restriction. We can't have just anybody on the roadway.
wow. do you really have that much of a problem with this law?
If you're coming in at 75MPH and have to slam on the brakes to slow down to 20MPH because you can't change lanes and you didn't see the cop until you were close enough, I would hazard you're more likely to cause an accident.
You know, I do change lanes all the time when I see a guy on the side of the road, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a cop, an ambulance or workers. From there to nail you with $500 bucks there's a long stretch...
where is the speed limit 75mph?
and it's not 20mph.......it's 20mph under the limit. Hardly slamming on the brakes.
without looking it up, Im betting a cop or two has died for a law like this to get passed.You know, I do change lanes all the time when I see a guy on the side of the road, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a cop, an ambulance or workers. From there to nail you with $500 bucks there's a long stretch...
There are some dumb mf'ers who have no common sense and will zip by a patrol officer @ 70 mph coming within feet of the dude.
I wish they would flip their car and die in a fire but a $500 ticket will do.
^^^ Is that what they call compassionate conservatism?
Compassion is not one of my strong suits. I'm just kidding above, but stupid drivers make me rage.
It's like these same geniuses zipping by a dude changing his tire at 70 mph. happens. You should immediately think, "Wow, if something weird were to happen to my vehicle as I pass this man changing his tire I could decapitate him or worse...maybe I should change lanes or at the very least slow down."
What does got honda w/ coffee can muffler do...
Last edited by EmptyMan; 03-13-2010 at 01:17 PM.
Plenty of places
I misread. That makes more sense. Thanks.
About 154 in the past 13 years. Stats are on the site in the OP. The thing is, the stats since it's been implemented do not, so far, point in a reduction of the incidents...
If that's the case, you were driving recklessly, and should be jailed. To drive too fast to see changing conditions ahead... Seriously moronic!
Driving is a serious matter. Too many people are killed by the reckless at ude of others as it is.
I think his point was that if he jams on his brakes and slows down to 20 MPH on a major highway with a 75 MPH speed limit, he's depending on everyone behind him being an alert driver and not rear-ending his car. It's a moot point anyways, since he misread the initial rule to be to slow down to 20MPH instead of 20MPH below the speed limit.
But you never have to, for a stationary incident, unless your are driving dangerous for the conditions.
Understand my point?
I wouldn't go that far, but anyone getting a ticket like this, probably deserves worse than the ticket.
If there's traffic it's not always easy or even safe to make that lane change, and dropping 55 MPH in the daytime where the cop's lights aren't going to be nearly as noticeable (thus, giving less distance to slow down in) would require pretty strong braking. I'm guessing that's the reason that law is to only drop to 20 MPH below the posted limit in that case and not to a firm 20 MPH.
This isn't a new law - and it falls within the realm of basic public saftey, not to mention curtosy (I try to do the same with distressed motorists). When I get pulled over (hasn't happened in a couple of years), I also try to exit the highway and pull over on the access road to provide a safer spot for the cop to write me up. Ironically, a lot of times the cop appreciates that gesture enough to let you off with a warning.
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