July 29, 2016
1491
At least three to four times per call, paramedics are delayed by motorists who fail to move over when the flashing lights and sirens indicate the ambulance is responding to a medical emergency.
That's the word from paramedics Darrick Moise and Jeremy Kostal of Bruce County Emergency Services.
"We find that vehicles at the front of the line pull over, but then the ones in the back just pass them instead of moving over too," said Moise.
Kincardine fire prevention officer Shane Watson echoed those sentiments.
"We were responding to a Paisley mutual aid call yesterday and we found that drivers would not move over for the fire trucks," he said. "Some vehicles even stopped in the middle of the road and then moved over."
Kostal said there are reports that a device may soon be available for emergency vehicles which allows a message to be broadcast over a car's speakers, telling the driver to move over and let the emergency vehicle pass.
Watson said volunteer firefighters find it tough to quickly reach the fire station in order to respond to a call, even with the flashing green lights in their vehicles.
"Often people from the city are visiting here and they don't know what that flashing green light means," he said. "It means a volunteer firefighter is responding to a call, so move over and let him by."
South Bruce OPP constable Kevin Martin, community services officer, urges motorists to be aware of the traffic around them, and when they see emergency vehicles on the side of the road, move over, allowing a safe distance between them and the police cruiser, fire truck or ambulance parked there. It's not only common sense, it's the law.
Kincardine fire prevention officer Shane Watson (left), South Bruce OPP constable Kevin Martin, community services officer; and Bruce County paramedics Darrick Moise and Jeremy Kostal, urge motorists to Slow Down and Move Over - it's the law
Over the Civic Holiday Long Weekend (July 29 to Aug. 1), the OPP will be conducting a Slow Down, Move Over enforcement and education campaign. With heavy traffic volumes expected throughout the province, highways and roads will see a greater presence of roadside emergency vehicles, making it a particularly important time for drivers to act in accordance with this law.
Drivers are reminded that in 2015, the law was amended to include slowing down and, on multi-lane highways, moving over for tow trucks parked on the roadside with their amber lights flashing. The law carries a fine range of $400 to $2,000 and three demerit points, but the cost is far greater to police officers, other responders and drivers of approaching vehicles who are involved in roadside collisions every year.
In separate OPP-investigated incidents last year (2015), six OPP vehicles, another police vehicle, three ambulances and a tow truck were struck while stopped on the shoulder of a highway or road. The drivers who struck these vehicles were all charged under the Move Over law.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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