The City of Lapeer’s Fire and Rescue are among the many agencies reminding Michigan drivers of the state’s Move Over Law in light of the tragic loss of Michigan State Trooper Joel Popp last Wednesday.
The trooper was killed on January 24 while stopped and handling a suspected impaired driver on northbound I-75, with the trooper and two patrol vehicles being struck by an 81-year-old driver.
A day after the loss, Lapeer City Fire and Rescue began posting daily reminders on their social media of the importance of moving over while driving to give emergency responders and other authorized vehicles space to safely do their job on the road.
They prefaced their posting with a statement, noting, “This tragedy hits close to home, as just two weeks ago, a Lapeer County Sheriff Deputy narrowly escaped a similar fate on a traffic stop on I-69.” Two Lapeer County Sheriff deputies were struck during an evening traffic stop on Thursday, January 11, when a 50-year-old Flint driver failed to slow down and move over while passing the traffic stop and lost control of his vehicle. One of the civilians involved in the stop was struck during the incident as well. Though there were injuries reported, with the driver transported to the hospital with serious injuries, no deaths occurred.
For several Michigan agencies, the two recent incidents highlight the need for drivers to be aware of their duty to give space to those giving help on the road.
Drivers are reminded that, when approaching a stationary authorized vehicle with their lights activated, they are to slow down to at least 10 miles under the posted speed limit and move fully into an open lane. If they’re unable to move to an open lane due to weather, traffic or other road conditions, drivers are urged to still slow down at least 10 miles under the posted speed limit and pass with caution, while giving the authorized vehicle as much space as possible.
Authorized vehicles include police vehicles, ambulances, road service (such as tow trucks and snow plows), and fire and rescue.
While this law applies particularly to when authorized vehicles are responding to a situation and have their emergency lights activated, the Office of Highway Safety Planning recommends that drivers always pass these vehicles with caution and with as much space as possible.
