State Police Crashes Lead To ‘Move Over’ Enforcement

After six state police cruisers were hit by other motorists in the past six weeks, police are beefing up enforcement of the state's "Move over" law. The statute requires motorists to slow down and give law enforcement personnel room, while they are stopped along the highway, with their emergency lights engaged.The law says motorists should move into the adjacent lane, if there's room.

Three cruisers were struck last week and another three were struck in December. The Chief of the Maine State Police, Colonel Robert Williams said in a press release today, "This is serious. When you see a police officer stopped along the road with their emergency lights on - it's time to slow down and move over to give them room to work."

Last week, State police cruisers were damaged in Portland, Brewer, and north of Lincoln. In each case, troopers were stopped along the interstate with their emergency lights on. Three similar crashes involving Troopers took place during December in York, Manchester, and Sanford. Of the six crashes, four Troopers were injured.

On Monday evening, Troopers along the interstate stopped 40 vehicles in two hours in the Portland area as part of a beefed up enforcement campaign. While one trooper stopped a vehicle for a violation, three others were watching traffic, and issued 40 summonses for various violations. 11 of those were for not moving over. Colonel Williams says the enforcement efforts will continue, to remind motorists of the law. The fine for such a violation is $311.

Maine law requires motorists to slow down and move over. Title 29-A, Section 2054 reads:

 Stationary vehicles. The operator of a vehicle passing a stationary authorized emergency vehicle using an emergency light or a stationary wrecker using its authorized lights, with due regard to the safety and traffic conditions, shall:

Stationary vehicles. The operator of a vehicle passing a stationary authorized emergency vehicle using an emergency light or a stationary wrecker using its authorized lights, with due regard to the safety and traffic conditions, shall:
A. Pass in a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle or wrecker, if possible; or [2007, c. 348, §20 (AMD).]
B. If passing in a nonadjacent lane is impossible or unsafe, pass the emergency vehicle or wrecker at a careful and prudent speed reasonable for passing the authorized emergency vehicle or wrecker safely. [2007, c. 348, §20 (AMD).]