[retired11]

Ahhh, retirement is wonderful, I enter Florida and the rest stop has palm trees swaying in the wind, a sign with a dolphin and wacky birds running all over the parking lot. I am free of New York taxes, crowded streets, small homes and subways. All is good now. I drive further South and pass a nice State Trooper, actually two, on the grass alongside the road. I am driving perhaps too slowly at 65 in the right lane, not 70, as one of them decides to pull me over. Aghast, what could it be?

He asks for my license, registration and insurance card. I ask him, mistakenly calling him officer instead of trooper, what I did. He says I violated the "move over law" and we failed to move over. Initially, my wife giggles, we think the trooper is mocking us. What law would require a family to move over into traffic at 65 MPH or slow your speed 20 MPH in moments? This seems very dangerous, but he reminds us some 26 odd states have such a law. I still think he is making the whole thing up, but I watch as cars merge at 70 MPH into traffic to avoid us.

Ahhh, the birds walk instead of fly, the weather is perfect, the palm trees blow in the breeze, a dolphin is on the welcome sign. This is the place where "Flipper" lived. For my part I have learned what the move over law is. Ahhhhh, its Florida.

[flyboytampabay]

No one is twisting your arm to stay here. Why don't you move somewhere else? Or are you one of those constant complainers that always wants to tell everyone how much better and cheaper it is up north?

[jambo101]

Cruising at 65 in the granny lane doesnt sound like a ticket-able offense as where are you supposed to go to move out of the way, are you sure you werent dawdling along in the Left passing lane holding up a line of cars?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Cruising at 65 in the granny lane doesnt sound like a ticket-able offense as where are you supposed to go to move out of the way, are you sure you werent dawdling along in the Left passing lane holding up a line of cars?

Actually I was ticketed for the same offense as I was exiting I-4 on a two lane ramp with faster traffic (not to mention left turn traffic) in the left lane while I was driving slower and in the right lane. Apparently at the sighting of a FHP cruiser with pulled over car, I was supposed to veer into the left lane and risk an accident versus shuffling a bit to the left within my own lane. It's a new law they're using extensively to ticket now apparently and are setting up places where one FHP cruiser sits waiting specifically for this infraction while other FHP cruisers pull over those who are speeding. Quite the racket...

[bbronston]

This might be helpful in the future: DHSMV: Safety First Messages/Move Over Tips

I can't recall if there is a "Move Over" sign as you enter Florida but I would be shocked if there isn't a sign there since they are seen elsewhere. However, if there isn't one, you might be able to defend against the ticket on that basis, if you were given one. Were you?

[Restrain]

Flashing lights, move over. Police, road assistance truck (yes there are a lot of them), road crews. Move over or slow down 20 mph. Too many have been hit leading to the law. Texas has it as well. A common sense law.

[ReachTheBeach]

They have it in NC also, but here slowing down 20 mph means go the speed limit for a change...

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by retired11

Ahhh, retirement is wonderful, I enter Florida and the rest stop has palm trees swaying in the wind, a sign with a dolphin and wacky birds running all over the parking lot. I am free of New York taxes, crowded streets, small homes and subways. All is good now. I drive further South and pass a nice State Trooper, actually two, on the grass alongside the road. I am driving perhaps too slowly at 65 in the right lane, not 70, as one of them decides to pull me over. Aghast, what could it be?

He asks for my license, registration and insurance card. I ask him, mistakenly calling him officer instead of trooper, what I did. He says I violated the "move over law" and we failed to move over. Initially, my wife giggles, we think the trooper is mocking us. What law would require a family to move over into traffic at 65 MPH or slow your speed 20 MPH in moments? This seems very dangerous, but he reminds us some 26 odd states have such a law. I still think he is making the whole thing up, but I watch as cars merge at 70 MPH into traffic to avoid us.

Ahhh, the birds walk instead of fly, the weather is perfect, the palm trees blow in the breeze, a dolphin is on the welcome sign. This is the place where "Flipper" lived. For my part I have learned what the move over law is. Ahhhhh, its Florida.

The move over law was enacted after numerous incidents occurred where patrol cars, other police cars, other service vehicles in the service lanes were hit by drivers not paying any attention. In some of those incidents, troopers or others at the scenes were seriously injured or killed. Since its not possible to mandate common sense, this law was put into effect as an effort to minimize the number of injuries by those distracted drivers who drive off the road into the safety lane.

Did you get a ticket?

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Actually I was ticketed for the same offense as I was exiting I-4 on a two lane ramp with faster traffic (not to mention left turn traffic) in the left lane while I was driving slower and in the right lane. Apparently at the sighting of a FHP cruiser with pulled over car, I was supposed to veer into the left lane and risk an accident versus shuffling a bit to the left within my own lane. It's a new law they're using extensively to ticket now apparently and are setting up places where one FHP cruiser sits waiting specifically for this infraction while other FHP cruisers pull over those who are speeding. Quite the racket...

Actually you are supposed to slow down to 20 miles below the posted speed limit if you are unable to move into the left lane. No one expects you to move into the left lane if you can't do it safely. I doubt seriously that with the shortage of FHP troopers out there,the number of accidents, serious traffic violations out there that keep the troopers hopping, that they have anyone sitting there waiting for move over law violations.

We had a good friend who was killed by one of those "distracted" drivers who drove off the road into the safety lane and crushed him into the guardrail as he was assisting a driver with car trouble who had pulled off the road. I have known two others who were injured seriously, one who was standing behind his car and was hit by another driver who plowed into his patrol car- apparently the driver never noticed the car or its flashing red and blue lights, and the other guy who dived over the guardrail down an embankment as he saw the car barreling at him. He broke both legs.

[OptimusPrime69]

ok just so I have this clear. If a police car is on the side of the road (pulling someone over or whatever)....I am supposed to move over to the left a lane? Is that correct?