State Police superintendent reminds drivers to slow down, move over

I've heard that some states actually run traps regarding this law, with South Carolina just south of Pedro's place on I-95 gaining particular infamy for this. They'll park a trooper on the shoulder with his lights on and he'll chase down and ticket whoever doesn't move over for him.

Lately, I've seen a couple of troopers around here with their lights on and no one stopped in front of them. Are they tidying up their paperwork from a just completed stop, or...?

One can drive 5-10m over the spd limit and still safely execute lane changes if everyone pays attention ahead to flashing lights,brake lights,take turns letting each other in,anticipate having to come to a sudden stop by not excessively speeding in the 1st place!,use turn signals and use your own hazard lights to warn drivers behind you.here's one for ya,if there is an accident ahead, drivers can't control how their car is positioned after the impact so if lanes are reduced,look ahead,slow down n lose the attitude n excuses it's your life too.

Hi folks, I drive an 18 wheeler, please don't be driving in my blind spot when one of our sometimes harebrained staties is working on the shoulder, I can assure you all that under absolutely NO CIRCUMSTANCES will I risk the life of the trooper or his victim. you however, being mobile and "able" to give way may neeed to, nothing personal, lets all try to survive hampton roads traffic.

I drive 264 5 days a week. It's anarchy. People believe those in front of them are in their way. They don't drive in traffic, they drive thru it. It's all about them. I stopped riding my mc to work due to the wreckless, self centered drivers. I drive a truck and get flipped off for driving 60. I drive a very fast sports car and still get run over.
Speeding has nothing to do with the car. It has to do with the driver. Either you believe you own the road and your reason for speeding and jeopardizing others is ok or you are not a self centered person, not the center of the universe and take your place in traffic.
Every day transiting from Mil Hwy onto 264 I see drivers behind me fail to yield to drivers exiting 264 onto Mil Hwy. I have seen a state tropper sit there and not ticket them for Failure to Yield Right Away.

Maybe the impatient people will understand their frustration reveals more about them than the people they're mad at who they believe are in their way.

How easily most of you forget - the one that happened Sunday was because the idiot was on the cell phone.... not because she didn't get over - idiot swerved and made a little "oops" while chatting on the phone doing who knows what speed.
Make an example out of the moron. Suspend her license and better yet, make it illegal to talk on that or do anything else stupid while driving...putting on make-up, eating a meal, etc - PAY ATTENTION to the road. No one would need to get over if people paid attention.

I bet if that was your son or daughter working as a Trooper, you would move over if they were on a traffic stop. If that was you on the side of the road with a flat tire how would you feel???? Maybe if one day your car breaks down on the interestate would you want people to move over for you? Please lets all work together because one day it could be you.

I agree with craigd8613. You can't get over in traffic on 64/264. I bet that trooper wasn't hearing your side of the story and obviously didn't really care about your safety to issue that ticket. As they all do. Although, where and when do you see a state trooper during traffic hours. I might add that when you do see them, after traffic is over or on the weekend, they're cruising at what I estimate 70-90, passing me when I'm doing 65. Sure, it's a law and I do and will continue to move over, when I can. Tell me Col. when will the young arrogant troopers stop disrespecting us older people when they conduct their traffic stops. You want us to protect the trooper, we want them to be respectful, obey the laws in their cruisers and treat us people with respect. But we'll keep getting the tickets and no respect from the trooper.

I agree with craigd8613. You can't get over in traffic on 64/264. I bet that trooper wasn't hearing your side of the story and obviously didn't really care about your safety to issue that ticket. As they all do. Although, where and when do you see a state trooper during traffic hours. I might add that when you do them, after traffic is over or on the weekend, they're cruising at what I estimate 70-90, passing me when I'm doing 65. Sure, it's a law and I do and will continue to move over, when I can. Tell me Col. when will the young arrogant troopers stop disrespecting us older people when they conduct their traffic stops. You want us to protect the trooper, we want them to be respectful, obey the laws in their cruisers and treat us people with respect. But we'll keep getting the tickets and no respect from the trooper.

It is amazing how arrogant people really are. Shut up, slow down, move over and quit complaining. News flash, if you hit a STOPPED car on any roadway, it is your fault.

I cannot believe people don't look at our State Troopers as heroes. They are CRAZY heroes in my book. They actually have the guts to get out of their vehicles with all the crazy drivers we have on the highways - to assist people in all kinds of conditions. God bless them and our Motorist Assistance Personnel who have to be just as crazy. I'm very thankful they are out there. So yes, please slow down and pull over and make these people's lives a little safer.

Perhaps its all those people trying to move over that have caused the increase in accidents.

I work for motorist assistance on the highway and I guarantee if you are broke down on the side of the highway you would want me behind you to PROTECT you from drivers who don't MOVE OVER! We are not heroes like you say, but we can help you out and get you out of a BAD situation. I want to go home to my wife and two daughters everyday. I enjoy helping the motoring public and KEEP VIRGINIA MOVING. But if you don't want to obey the law, I hope you get a big TICKET!

Notice the damage is to the right rear of the patrol car. I hope the Superintendant also asked his troopers to keep their (and our) safety in mind by having the offenders pull over to the wider right hand emergancy lane. I travel 264 everyday and I can tell you the majority of traffic is traveling 65-75 at any given time. It's not the guy/girl traveling 72/55, it's the 2 vehicles stopped on the left side of the road with their right rear quarter panel 3 feet away from passing traffic. I ask that the troopers help us help them be safe on the roads.

Dont even ask me to move over for these arrogant, hero in their own mind idiots. Aint happening!

If you want to make this a law, at least make everyone aware of it. Recently I recieved a ticket from a state trooper for not getting over all the way to the left lane, even though traffic prevented me getting over until I was near the pulled over trooper. I look out for the safety of these officer's more than anyone I know and getting a ticket for something I could not help is crap! The officer told me that if I can not get over next time than stop. Good advice for interstate driving huh! I paid the stupid fine $121.00 with court cost. The state troopers better not ever call me for another donation!

so typical for people asked to do something of common sense to whine and blame-the emergency vehicles. R u kidding me? I drive 64 and 264 daily-HR drivers are the most selfish! No one lets you in, NO ONE uses a signal and my favorite: I can be in the right lane doing 10mi over the spd limit and a car will barrel up behind me even though he has a free passing lane to safely pass me-he won't. I-64 is Richmond Speedway...I guess they're "drafting". Despite what many think, Troopers angle their vehicles out so the engine block will protect them from surprise gunfire from the stopped car. Their bright blue flashing lights are for the driver's protection.
The problem is other motorists not paying attention and not being considerate and anticipating that fellow motorists will need to move over. If you can't see those blue piercing lights and you don't pay attention ahead of you, then you shouldn't be driving.

In response to your post to Caspar, I think you're being a tad harsh. Perhaps cars in front of him (her?) were able to move over without slowing down because there was a large enough gap for them to do so safely. By the time Caspar was aware of the situation as it unfolded in front of him, (there could have been a huge truck or SUV directly in front until the last minute) there was no gap to safely move over, blinker on or not. I drive I-64 every day to and from work, and people follow way too closely. When you do need to change lanes and put on your blinker to signify your intention to do so, some people actually speed up as if to say, "You're not getting ahead of me, Buddy!" The only alternative in Caspar's case was to slow down and wait for a gap, which apparently never appeared. What would you have him do? Just barge into the lane and cause further chaos? By the time he slowed down and came to a stop, I'm sure it became even harder to try to merge over into the lane if cars were still zooming along at the speed limit or close to it. The officer was wrong to chastise Caspar for doing what I would consider prudent in that situation. To Caspar, sorry for jumping in, but I

And your point is - because you were not driving defensive - and not prepared for what you needed to do - you would have chosen to run the trooper down - (although I disagree with any law enforcement person displaying him or herself in such a way) Did you put on your blinker to advise those around you that you were coming over? - did you try to stop before you actually got to the scene or screech your way right up to the position of the troopers vehicle - the vehicle was out into the left lane because they position the vehicle for protection from motorist such as yourself who are not observing constantly your surroundings until the last minute -

Out of the eight that hit them, I bet 6 were on a cell phone!

Just another example why cell phones should be banned while driving. Hope the judge throws the book at her for reckless driving.

First, what you reported as to what the law states, isn't accurate. This is what the law requires: "...proceed with caution and, if reasonable, with due regard for safety and traffic conditions, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that occupied by the stationary emergency vehicle. If changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, proceed with due caution and maintain a safe speed for highway conditions".

I'm all for their safety and I do move over, if safe to do so. I'll maintain a safe speed or slow down to roughly 5 to 10 MPH below the posted speed limit but only if conditions allow.

Second, how is this law enforced as far as those drivers that do not move over if they can safely do so? Photography? Back-up unit?

How about:

slow down, move over and GET OFF THE PHONE!

As you drive - be looking well ahead of you, and plan ahead. Too often drivers are trying to function in a space of about 30 feet, one, maybe two car lengths. Look down the road, scan around you, be aware of your driving environment.

Another poster suggested flares - there's good and bad with this idea. They are not "green" - they leave residue and waste behind. In some circumstances, flares have caused roadside fires. Also, your average trooper, officer, or Fire/EMS unit doesn't carry enough flares to mark off 300-500 feet of roadway. Even at one flare every 10 feet, that's 30-50 flares, fully half a case. Multiply that by two or three incidents a day, and that's a LOT of flares. Also, to close down that much roadway, the trooper/officer has to walk out into the travel lane, increasing the risk of being hit. Since people cannot even see a police car, do we expect them to see a flare while they're chatting on a cell phone, eating a burger -n- fries, or applying makeup?

I suspect a lot of scofflaws ignore this law because they know the trooper (or other first responder) is otherwise distracted by tending to the situation which has them pulled over in the first place. They know the cop isn't going to break away from that and give chase. The reality of it is, and I think most drivers do this because it just makes sense, is that ANY vehicle on the side of the road, whether it's a broken down 18 wheeler, or a soccer Mom mini-van with a flat tire, deserves the same consideration - slow down and move over!

Pilot, thanks for running this story. I often remind attendees of my driving class that we are supposed to move over when a first responder is on the shoulder assisting someone. Perhaps first responders should put out flares in the next lane over for about 300 - 500 feet behind the incident, each time they have to pull over to assist someone. Besides, by the time a motorist sees the trooper, it may be too late to get over in the next lane, due to another vehicle occupying that space.

Then you'll have traffic reporters complaining about people "rubbernecking". I've always contended that the complaints about rubbernecking were ill-founded because the drivers who are first on the scene have had to slow down to avoid vehicles involved in the incident, emergency vehicles, emergency personnel,debris in the road, etc. and traffic starts backing up because of this. Naturally when one creeps by the scene at 5 MPH or less one is inclined to take a look at what is going on. It isn't like you have a choice to speed by if you are so inclined because the vehicles in front of you are also creeping by as well. So you might as well look. If you somehow avoid temptation and keep your eyes straight ahead, then good for you, but you still have no other choice but to travel at the same speed as those who in front of you are travelling. Quite often the vehicles will have been moved to the side or even towed away, yet the traffic will still be backed up. There will literally be nothing to see, yet the "rubbernecker" tag will still be applied. So forget about being labeled a rubbernecker and do the right thing and slow down and/or move over.

Once on I-264, while driving in the left lane near Airline Blvd, I saw 2 troopers with a car stopped in the median strip, but their cars were partially blocking the left lane. I couldn't move over because the middle and outside lanes were loaded with cars, and no one would let me over. I then hit my brakes to stop. Suddenly, one of the troopers began running toward my car, shouting and gesturing for me to move over. It was impossible. If I did I would have been hit. He kept yelling idiot. I began to wonder if there was a mirror on my front bumper. What idiot runs toward a car coming toward you? No wonder there are troopers getting hit, and it isn't the motorists' fault.