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MERRITT HERALD FREE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
Police urge drivers to slow down, move over By Michael Potestio THE HERALD
reporter@merrittherald.com
SONGSTRESS SERENADES Shari Ulrich performs at the Civic Centre on Friday at the first of the 2013-14 Nicola Valley Community Arts Council’s concert series. Emily Wessel/Herald
Police in the Merritt area will be stepping up enforcement of the slow down, move over legislation along highways such as the Coquihalla and Highway 97C this month. Central Interior Traffic Services and the Central Interior Integrated Road Safety Unit will be conducting a twostage operation of enforcement. When passing by an official vehicle, the law requires a driver to slow to 70 km/h if the posted speed limit it 80 km/h or more, and 40 km/h if the posted speed limit is less than 80 km/h. Drivers must also move into the adjacent lane if they are travelling in the same lane as the stopped official vehicle, unless it is unsafe to do so or they are instructed otherwise by a peace officer. Official vehicles include police cars, ambulances, fire department vehicles, tow trucks, vehicle operated by conservation officers and park rangers, commercial vehicle safety inspectors’ vehicles, and Ministry of Forests vehicles. As part of their campaign, police released a video that shows Merritt RCMP Cpl. Doug Hardy narrowly avoid a motor vehicle while conducting a routine traffic stop. Cpl. Bernie Parent, head of the integrated road safety unit in Kamloops, said if the vehicle in the video had been over just a little bit more, Hardy
would’ve been hurt. Parent also said the law isn’t just to keep drivers of official vehicles safe, but other drivers as well, noting the vehicle in the video that was pulled over was also hit. Parent said close calls such as this one happen all the time. “There’s no need for it,” Parent said, noting there’s no lineup of cars in the fast lane preventing the driver in the video from moving over and slowing down. Parent, a 33-year police officer, said often when drivers see police pulled to the side of the road, they will look at them. “Well, usually, wherever you look, that’s where your car’s going to eventually go, and that’s why it makes it very dangerous when they drive by us,” Parent said. Parent said the situation can be even worse for tow truck drivers who go out on the highway to recover broken-down vehicles. The legislation came into effect in 2009 with amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act. The amendments were brought on by a 2006 fatality in which a tow truck driver was killed by a passing vehicle in Vernon, Parent said. The legislation has been in place since 2009 amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act. Parent also said he hasn’t noticed much in terms of improvement when it comes to drivers adhering to the slow down and move over law. “They have to do both. They have to slow down and
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they have to move over,” Parent said. “We’re lucky if they do one or the other.” Parent said the slow down, move over campaign is being conducted in the Interior because it’s a problem here. South East District RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said officers will be patrolling certain problem corridors for drivers who do not slow down and move over for official vehicles. Parent said RCMP have done this type of campaign at the local level before, but they’re trying to eventually make the slow down, move over campaign a province-wide one. Both failing to stop and failing to move over carry a $173 fine and three penalty points on one’s drivers license. The fine for speeding between 41 km/h and 60 km/h over the two speed limits for passing a stopped official vehicle is $368 and three penalty points. Speeding by 60 km/h and over comes with a $483 fine and three penalty points. Drivers penalized for excessive speed will also have their vehicles impounded and be responsible for the tow bill and storage fees. Moskaluk said slowing down and moving over may be the law, but safety is key. “It’s the law, but, again, what we’re trying to encourage is that everybody be courteous and aware of doing their part in creating a safer work environment for all these agencies that are working roadside,” Moskaluk said.
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