Mooooooooooove Over!

This past Wednesday I had the opportunity to teach a three to five minute presentation to an online class using UMConnect. The topic could be anything of our choosing. I chose a topic that I am quite passionate about...the Ted Foss Move Over Law.  An unknown law to most motorists, yet one that is of utmost importance!!!

Trooper Ted Foss

In August of 2000, Trooper Ted Foss had pulled over a speeding motorist. He had positioned his car behind the speeding motorist's mini-van and had his lights flashing. As he was issuing the ticket to the driver, a semi-truck veered off of the roadway, striking Trooper Foss's squad along with the mini-van and Trooper Foss. Unfortunately Trooper Foss was killed. 

In response to this horrific accident, the Ted Foss Move Over Law (Minnesota statute 169.18, subdivision 11) was created and put into effect in August of 2002. The law is designed to give emergency vehicles room to work on the portion of roadway they are occupying by requiring passing motorists to leave a lane vacant between them and those parked emergency vehicles. The law also requires that drivers reduce their speed as they pass the location of the emergency vehicle(s) and road repair equipment. An emergency vehicle is defined by Minnesota statute as the following: towing vehicles, police vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, freeway service patrol vehicles, road maintenance trucks and construction vehicles. 

To put it simply:

• If you are traveling on a roadway with two of more lanes, you must keep a lane away when passing a stopped ambulance, fire truck, or law enforcement vehicle, towing vehicles, road maintenance trucks, construction vehicles, and freeway service patrol vehicles.
• If you are not able to safely move a lane away, reduce your speed by at minimum of 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit.
• If you fail to take these actions you could receive a citation.
• Ignoring this law endangers the law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and tow truck drivers who provide critical — and sometimes lifesaving — services on Minnesota roadways.

I can tell you of three other accidents just in Minnesota that could have been prevented if drivers had slowed down and moved over. Three firefighters have been hurt or killed in roadside accidents. Captain Kim Granholm was stuck and killed in an chain reaction accident while at the scene of a car fire on Interstate 35. St. Cloud Assistant Fire Chief Don Billig was struck and killed while he was putting a barricade back into position. Just this year, firefighter Cory Broich, was struck at the scene of a car fire. Broich is lucky in the respect that he is still alive, but is still recovering from the accidents. His legs were severely damaged. 

The stories of these four men is only a portion of the overall situation. We have loss of life, but we also have an economic impact on our state. According to the League of Minnesota Cities Trust Insurance (LMCIT), over $2 million dollars have been spent on the care of those city employees (firefighters, law enforcement, public works and parks workers) who have been hurt or killed by motorists while doing their job in the last ten years. League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust provides property, liability, workers' compensation and employee benefit needs to Minnesota cities. In some ways, LMCIT functions much like an insurance company. Cities pay a premium to LMCIT (from your tax dollars) and LMCIT pays claims and losses on the city’s behalf. To some $2 million over ten years may not seem like a lot, but in an economy where EVERY penny counts, $2 million could be used on better things. 

People who don't move over or slow down...DRIVE me CRAZY! I wish I could pull them over and let them know the potential impact of their decision to not move over or slow down. I wish I could be the one that issues the tickets just for that! :-)

All I ask....PLEASE move over and slow down whenever you see a vehicle on the side of the road. This isn't a courtesy to whoever is one the side of the road...this is the LAW!!!!