Florida: Failure to move over injuries on the rise
Caution is being tossed to the wind, as drivers fail to move over putting lives at risk!
CBS 12 took a ride with the Florida Highway Patrol to witness first-hand the dangers these troopers deal with day in and day out as January is "Move Over" awareness month.
The number of first responders being injured or even killed while responding to situations along the side of the road is on rise.
"He actually failed to move over," said FHP Trooper Aguero. "We are going to get him."
Emergency lights flash along the side of I-95 as a pair of Florida Highway Patrol troopers respond to a crash on a slippery roadway. Drivers are required by law to move over but they don't.
"The reason I pulled you over is you failed to pull over for my trooper. Can you say why?" questioned Trooper Aguero. "I didn't realize I did that," said the driver. "Are you aware of the move over law?"
The move over law states that drivers must move over for crews that are pulled over on the side of the road; if that isn't an option you must slowdown 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
"Are you aware of law? In that situation you couldn't move over, why didn't you slow down?"
These law violations cause more than 100 crashes each year in Florida. There were 161 crashes in 2014 alone - with 120 injuries.
In fact, in terrifying dash am video you can see Trooper Mac Mickens moments before being struck by a drunken driver who failed to move over; a crash that happened nearly 3 months ago that forever changed trooper Mickens life.
"It's a tough job. A lot of troopers have lost their lives. The fact that people don't move over or slow down or drunks attracted to lights," said Trooper Aguero.
The move over law requires you to move over not only for law enforcement and first responders, but sanitation, utility and tow truck drivers, as well.
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