During the month of February, BC Highway Patrol will be out in force throughout the province to reinforce with motorists the need to Slow Down and Move Over for all vehicles stopped alongside the road that have lights flashing.
In B.C., motorists must reduce their speed and move into the far lane to give extra space to stopped vehicles with flashing red, blue or yellow lights.
This includes emergency vehicles, tow trucks, construction, maintenance, and utility vehicles.
Drivers are required to reduce their speed to:
Think of it as the 70/40 rule, says Chief Superintendent Holly Turton, Officer in Charge of BC Highway Patrol. We want to ensure that not only emergency workers are safe, but that land surveyors, garbage collectors, animal control workers, and others who work on our roads are safe doing their work on the highways as well.
Our goal is to ensure drivers slow down and move over to prevent injuries or possible fatalities, says Turton. When our officers on the side of the road are helping motorists, it is extremely dangerous to have vehicles travelling by at top speeds.