Ask any police officer what one of the more dangerous daily tasks is, and most will bring up working roadside. As you’re trying to direct traffic, interacting with a driver, or deal with an emergency, there are thousands of kilograms of metal and rubber flying by you constantly.
This danger is one faced by every roadside worker in BC- emergency services workers, road-maintenance crews, tow truck operators, municipal workers, traffic controllers, construction crews, garbage collectors, and any other worker who needs to access roadways to do their work. In the last decade we’ve lost 13 workers in BC to collisions at the side of the road and there have been 204 injuries.
BC’s Slow Down, Move Over Law is designed to protect all of us, by making it mandatory for drivers to reduce their speed and move over to an open lane when driving near a vehicle with flashing amber, red or blue lights.
Motorists must slow their speed to:
Failure to slow down or move over can result in a traffic violation ticket of $173 and carries 3 penalty points against your license.
Today, members of the Kelowna RCMP Traffic Services, and Central Okanagan Traffic Services will be out with some of our partners from BCAA in the Kelowna area reminding drivers of the importance of slowing down, moving over, and keeping everyone safe.