New Law/Ticket? (Charlotte: school, to move, title)

[Barkingowl]

According to Sunny's link the move over law has been in effect for 2 years.
NCSmartLink.org - Traffic Incident Management

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

According to Sunny's link the move over law has been in effect for 2 years.
NCSmartLink.org - Traffic Incident Management

As I recall, the first year they only wrote warnings to help get the message out - in the last year they've been enforcing the law.

[njmdpanc]

Originally Posted by lovesMountains

You immediately reduce your speed to let that person on your left get by and then quickly move over. Also, drivers in that lane are supposed to let you merge when they see emergency lights up ahead or they could be ticketed too.

Talk about creating an accident situation on 485 or any major roadway. There usually isn't an opening on the left side and if you slow down to move over without passing the cop, you will get rear ended, or you will stop all traffic until you do move over.


Here is the law - and it only says to move over "if possible"
The "Move Over" Law requires motorists, when approaching a parked or standing emergency vehicle with its lights flashing on the shoulder of the highway, to move to a lane not nearest the emergency vehicle if possible. If not possible reduce speed and be prepared to stop. Motorists should travel in that lane until clear of the emergency vehicle. Motorists on two-lane roads should slow down and use caution when passing a parked or standing emergency vehicle.

[BigCountry]

Originally Posted by njmdpanc

Talk about creating an accident situation on 485 or any major roadway. There usually isn't an opening on the left side and if you slow down to move over without passing the cop, you will get rear ended, or you will stop all traffic until you do move over.

Yeah and "if possible" is always going to be in favor of the cop's opinion...

My truck is pretty slow so I always drive in the right lane(s) and people run 70-75 on it normally.

Anyway I just thought it was silly (being 485 and all). But what else can I do I guess but come here and complain..

[njmdpanc]

I'm not a lawyer but when I read this law, it does not say "mandatory" to move over, only "if possible".


The "Move Over" Law requires motorists, when approaching a parked or standing emergency vehicle with its lights flashing on the shoulder of the highway, to move to a lane not nearest the emergency vehicle if possible. If not possible reduce speed and be prepared to stop. Motorists should travel in that lane until clear of the emergency vehicle. Motorists on two-lane roads should slow down and use caution when passing a parked or standing emergency vehicle.

[SunnyKayak]

right, one or the other which was apparently not met by the op anfd is why he got the ticket

I cant believe we are debating a law that is meant to save our emergency personnel!

[BigCountry]

I would of totally merged over if I figured it was an emergency. But it was not..

I have been passing people getting speeding tickets for 20 years...and now I get the ticket which prob cost/hurts more on the insurance than they do!
haha

Charlotte..gotta love it sometimes..

[cagman]

We live in a police state these days.

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by BigCountry

Do Police not give warnings anymore?

Heck I rarely read the paper..

Why would they give warnings, they don't make any money that way??

[njmdpanc]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

I cant believe we are debating a law that is meant to save our emergency personnel!

I don't believe anyone in this conversation is against protecting those that are supposed to protect and serve us as taxpayers.
I do believe that there are nonsense laws that should not be enforced at the whim of a police officer who is probably behind in his ticket quota for the month.
I also believe that the original poster was not putting the officer's life in danger.
I do believe that the law is extremely vague in its' wording and can be taken different ways.

With that said, why in the neighbors section of today's Disturber, are they talking about using the shoulder lanes to drive on to ease congestion? Where is the safety in this? How does this silly "move over' law address this and where should we pull over if we have to?