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State Police release results of targeted slow down and Move Over enforcement project

Troopers from the Indiana State Police concentrated their enforcement efforts last week on catching those drivers who fail to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles. The effort was coordinated with state police agencies from five other states, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

 

With the increase in construction zones this was an opportune time to utilize special patrols not only to find those drivers who violate the law, but to educate the public on the importance of slowing down and moving over for emergency vehicles. Troopers concentrated efforts on all emergency vehicles, including construction vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, police vehicles, maintenance crews, and roadside service crews.

 

The results of the efforts are in the chart below.

Violation

Tickets

Warnings

Total

Fail to change lanes for stationary Highway Maintenance Vehicle on 4 lane highway

10

27

37

Fail to reduce speed for Stationary Highway Maintenance Vehicle on 2 lane highway

5

8

13

Failure to change lanes for Emergency Vehicle on 4 lane highway

83

137

220

Failure to reduce speed for Emergency Vehicle on 2 lane highway

17

22

39

Total

115

194

309

 

 

We’ve all heard about it before; the Move Over Law.  In 1999 Indiana was the first State in the nation to pass such a law requiring motorists to move to an adjacent traffic lane, or reduce speed by 10 mph below the posted speed limit if unable to change lanes safely when driving by a stationary police, fire or ambulance emergency vehicle stopped along the side of the road.  Over the years Indiana's law has expanded to include stationary recovery, utility service, solid waste haulers, road, street highway maintenance vehicles, as well as a stationary survey or construction vehicles when displaying alternately flashing amber lights.

 

Indiana’s law was originally crafted and passed the result of the death of ISP Tpr. Andrew Winzenread who was killed in April of 1997 while assisting a stranded motorist on I-74 in Dearborn County.  Now, in 2019, every state, with the exception of Hawaii has some form of a move-over-law.

  

But we all know laws are only effective when followed.  In Indiana we still have too many emergency vehicles being struck by inattentive or distracted motorists.  And in neighboring Illinois, three state troopers have been struck and killed since the beginning of 2019.

 

 

As part of a joint ‘Move Over Law’ traffic enforcement project Indiana will be working with our ‘Six State Trooper’ law enforcement partners in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia during the week of April 14 through the 20.  During this time motorists can expect to see additional patrols looking for distracted driving violations which often lead to motorists failing to move over when they approach an emergency vehicle stopped roadside or at a crash scene.  Some violations associated with Driving While Distracted include speeding, following too close, drifting from lane to lane and failing to signal turns or lane changes.

 

It is not the goal of the Indiana State Police to simply write tickets.  We encourage and desire voluntary compliance with traffic laws to ensure the safety of the public as well as the safety of public safety professionals.  Our historical enforcement of the move over law reveals about 50% of persons stopped for this violation receive a written warning, but citations are issued for particularly egregious violations of the law.

 

To learn more about Move Over Laws in other States, visit this site: https://www.moveoveramerica.com/


YEAR

Tickets

Warnings

2017

517

1,023

2018

664

1,292

2019 to April 1st

144

239

Tickets and Warnings Issued for Violation of Indiana's Move Over Law


Indiana State Police 

2017

2018

2019 to April 1st

Struck at Crash Scene

10

6

7

Struck while Assisting Motorist

0

4

1

Struck while Directing Traffic

0

0

1

Struck in Work Zone

0

1

0

Stuck on Traffic Stop

3

0

1

TOTAL

13

11

10

Indiana State Police Vehicles Struck When Not in Motion


YEAR

Crash with Property Damage 

Crash with Injury

Crash with Fatality

2016

424

15

0

2017

396

16

0

2018

444

11

0

2019 to April 1st

124

9

0

Crashes of a Parked Police Vehicle from ANY Indiana Police Agency 

 

 

 

On April 25, 1997 while patrolling I-74 in Decatur County, Trooper Winzenread stopped to assist a motorist who had run out of gas. Returning to the stranded vehicle after getting gas, Trooper Winzenread exited his patrol car and was struck by an oncoming semi-tractor trailer. Trooper Winzenread died at the scene.

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