INDIANA TROOPERS: MANY DON'T OBEY 'MOVE OVER' LAW

According to state troopers most drivers know what the Move Over Law is, but many still don't obey it. Troopers say every year officers, wrecker operators and highway workers are either killed or injured because drivers either don't slow down or move over to another lane. Just last month, a trooper suffered a concussion after a car slammed into the back of his patrol car which was stopped on the side of the road. The trooper was helping block traffic on I-465 because of an earlier accident when he was hit. Luckily, the trooper is okay, but the driver faces several charges.

April is Move Over Month, and state troopers are taking part in extra patrols. The law says if there is an emergency vehicle on the side of the road, drivers need to move over. If they can't, they need to slow down at least 10 miles below the speed limit. 24-Hour News 8 crews were allowed to do a ride-along and within minutes an out-of-state driver failed to move over. Now he has to pay a $150 fine.

Troopers say they don't like writing tickets, but it's important for drivers to know how risky it is if they don't move over. "Great risk, of course we've had a number of comrades killed in the line of duty because folks are in the wrong lane," said Master Trooper Michael Shelton of the Indiana State Police.

A few minutes later during our ride-along, troopers pulled over a local driver and he too received a $150 fine. Extra Move Over patrols will continue to run throughout the month.

It also happens to be Work Zone Safety Awareness Week and drivers who don't slow down in work zones can get fined up to $1.

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