Florida: Drivers busted breaking Move Over Law

A local tow truck driver says drivers are breaking the law, and it’s putting his life in danger. Tow truck driver Mark Knowles told the News 2 I-Team he’s too busy clearing wrecked cars to be afraid, but he knows he’s taking a risk at work.

“There is always the thought in the back of your mind this could be your last step out of the truck,” he told Rebecca Collett.

The Move Over Law aims to protect Mark and other emergency responders like police officers and firefighters. Mark invited the I-Team to ride along with him. Our camera captured drivers breaking the law several times.

“If we have the lights on and wear our vests, we can take a lot of the danger out of it,” he explained. But he said it’s the drivers around him not paying attention he can’t control.

While our cameras were recording, one car almost crashed into his truck trying to skirt around a fire truck. Other cars crossed through lanes and didn’t slow down as they passed the wreck on Highway 17 in Mt. Pleasant.

The Highway Patrol ticketed 558 people for breaking the law.

Nationally, deaths among roadway workers like Mark are up six percent in 2014.

This month in the Upstate, a tow truck driver was hit and killed responding to a car on I-85.

Florida requires drivers to drop down 20 miles per hour under the posted speed limit when passing an emergency scene if a driver can’t move to the next lane. Some states are proposing amendments to their laws to include others like sanitation and utility workers