Troopers To Enforce "Move Over Act"

[abaduck 123]

On average every 15 mins. you have a road closed, it can take an hour to clear the traffic...time is money in our world. Our safety is paramount...but common sense and good operations goes a long way to ensuring safety and keeping things moving a bit.

You're totally right Tom, but... I would have a LOT more sympathy for arguments along those lines if it wasn't for the bloody bridges. Permit me to rant briefly.

I came back from PA late one night recently. Journey went like this:

PA - start of tailback for GWB: 120 miles, 2 hours.

Approach to GWB: 2 miles, 2 hours.

GWB tolls - home: 15 miles, 20 mins.

To put it bluntly, who gives a flying f*** about us closing lanes for safety when bridge authority haven't the slightest problem causing huge tailbacks purely for profit? And this kind of delay is pretty routine, judging by reports I hear on traffic news. The usual complaint seems to be not enough cash lanes. Fair enough. There should absolutely be a law stating that, any time the delays exceed, say, 15 mins, they have to open the barriers on all lanes and cease charging tolls until the delays are cleared. I'm astonished there isn't such a law already; it would be VERY popular, and very right. In what universe is a two hour delay to pay a f****** toll considered to be acceptable?

Mike

[JBE 328]

I was thinking about this today, as I did my trek from the girlfriends house, down the Thruway, to the Chateau. I did only see one speed trap, but I am kinda surprised I didn't see any troopers sitting near a work zone. It was along the left shoulder and although there were cans out, there were people still whipping past me like I was standing still, and I was in the center lane doing 70. I did see another trooper with someone pulled over the other day on 17, and nobody backing him up, and most people moving over. I think it's catching on.

[Billy 68]

Does this law include HELP trucks as well?

[helicopper 1,050]

Does this law include HELP trucks as well?

By definition, NO. It also doesn't include tow trucks, DOT trucks, or other hazard vehicles that may be on the highway. It was narrowly and specifically written to protect emergency vehicles, especially police since they operate on the shoulder most often.

Now there is a "catch". With HELP trucks and tow trucks displaying red and white rear-facing lights, a motorist may not be able to discern what is or is not an authorized emergency vehicle and may only see the lights. The law is clear on the move-over act though and failure to move over for a HELP truck is not enforceable.

On the subject of the rear-facing red and white lights on a HELP truck, I asked someone from the HELP Truck program about that very subject and he said that there is a provision that allows them to display rear-facing red and white lights but I'm still not sure as there is no provision for it in the VTL and I've seen no opinion letters from DMV regarding this.

Vehicle and Traffic Law:

§ 1144-a. Operation of vehicles when approaching a parked, stopped or

standing authorized emergency vehicle. Every operator of a motor vehicle

shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with an authorized emergency

vehicle which is parked, stopped or standing on the shoulder or any

portion of such highway and such authorized emergency vehicle is

displaying one or more red or combination red and white lights pursuant

to the provisions of paragraph two of subdivision forty-one of section

three hundred seventy-five of this chapter. For operators of motor

vehicles on parkways or controlled access highways, such due care shall

include, but not be limited to, moving from a lane which contains or is

immediately adjacent to the shoulder where such authorized emergency

vehicle displaying one or more red or combination red and white lights

pursuant to the provisions of paragraph two of subdivision forty-one of

section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter is parked, stopped or

standing to another lane, provided that such movement otherwise complies

with the requirements of this chapter including, but not limited to, the

provisions of sections eleven hundred ten of this title and eleven

hundred twenty-eight of this title.

Vehicle and Traffic Law:

§ 101. Authorized emergency vehicle. Every ambulance, police vehicle

or bicycle, correction vehicle, fire vehicle, civil defense emergency

vehicle, emergency ambulance service vehicle, blood delivery vehicle,

county emergency medical services vehicle, environmental emergency

response vehicle, sanitation patrol vehicle, hazardous materials

emergency vehicle and ordnance disposal vehicle of the armed forces of

the United States.

Vehicle and Traffic Law:

41. Colored and flashing lights. The provisions of this subdivision

shall govern the affixing and display of lights on vehicles, other than

those lights required by law. 1. No light, other than a white light, and

no revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving white

light shall be affixed to, or displayed on any vehicle except as

prescribed herein.

2. Red lights and certain white lights. One or more red or combination

red and white lights, or one white light which must be a revolving,

rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving light, may be

affixed to an authorized emergency vehicle, and such lights may be

displayed on an authorized emergency vehicle when such vehicle is

engaged in an emergency operation, and upon a fire vehicle while

returning from an alarm of fire or other emergency.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Saw this posted on lohud.

Ticketed Nanuet man calls new Move Over Act 'the state oppressing its citizenry to generate revenue'

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110426/NEWS01/104260367/Ticketed-Nanuet-man-calls-new-Move-Over-Act-state-oppressing-its-citizenry-generate-revenue-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s

The comments section, as usual is where some real nut bags can be found. If anyone, MOS or not, has ever had to go out on to a roadway to do any kind of work with cars moving past you at 40+ mph, they will realize the validity of this law. And its not just for PD either, while that was the focus of the article, it is as much for my safety as it is for theirs. Clearly anyone who opposes this law has never had to change a flat on Taconic or another major roadway....

Edited April 26, 2011 by bvfdjc316

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Saw this posted on lohud.

Ticketed Nanuet man calls new Move Over Act 'the state oppressing its citizenry to generate revenue'

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110426/NEWS01/104260367/Ticketed-Nanuet-man-calls-new-Move-Over-Act-state-oppressing-its-citizenry-generate-revenue-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s

The comments section, as usual is where some real nut bags can be found. If anyone, MOS or not, has ever had to go out on to a roadway to do any kind of work with cars moving past you at 40+ mph, they will realize the validity of this law. And its not just for PD either, while that was the focus of the article, it is as much for my safety as it is for theirs. Clearly anyone who opposes this law has never had to change a flat on Taconic or another major roadway....

What I realize is the validity that the ones that is truly designed to protect are the LEO's who only have a 4 door sedan most often between them and disaster. If Fire or EMS is operating on a highway with cars going by them at 40 mph plus...then you need to reevaluate your blocking positioning and safety buffer with your apparatus.

[SOUSGT 357]

By definition, NO. It also doesn't include tow trucks, DOT trucks, or other hazard vehicles that may be on the highway. It was narrowly and specifically written to protect emergency vehicles, especially police since they operate on the shoulder most often.

Now there is a "catch". With HELP trucks and tow trucks displaying red and white rear-facing lights, a motorist may not be able to discern what is or is not an authorized emergency vehicle and may only see the lights. The law is clear on the move-over act though and failure to move over for a HELP truck is not enforceable.

On the subject of the rear-facing red and white lights on a HELP truck, I asked someone from the HELP Truck program about that very subject and he said that there is a provision that allows them to display rear-facing red and white lights but I'm still not sure as there is no provision for it in the VTL and I've seen no opinion letters from DMV regarding this.

Vehicle and Traffic Law:

Vehicle and Traffic Law:

Vehicle and Traffic Law:

Funny thing Ther are a lot of school busses driving around with white strobe lights flashing. The red flashing lights are justified under the VTL. Were does the authority for the white strobes come from?

[JohnnyOV 2]

Funny thing Ther are a lot of school busses driving around with white strobe lights flashing. The red flashing lights are justified under the VTL. Were does the authority for the white strobes come from?

Who cares? Help trucks are on accident scenes to assist with traffic control for us, school buses are dropping off your children to school or home. If red, purple, mauve, blue, cyan, forest green lights provide the best visibility of us or our loved ones, why not equip every truck with them? they're frikken lights people, get a grip.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Funny thing Ther are a lot of school busses driving around with white strobe lights flashing. The red flashing lights are justified under the VTL. Were does the authority for the white strobes come from?

What's a white strobe? And I do believe it is in whatever standards buses are built to for safety. And as someone says..who really cares. And no I don't think help trucks need red lights either...but again..I really don't care.

[grumpyff 1,159]

Most people do this already at accidents, its just a matter of getting them trained to do it when other things like car stops, assisting disabled vehicles. are going on. There is always that one (or two) orifices that truly do not care. Here is a photo I took last year of a truck roll over on I-684 shortly after the NYSP arrived.

and after the HELP truck arrived to assist with cones

Not much difference between the two, although the second photo the cars are more organized due to advanced warnings put out by the HELP truck (signs) which are not visible in the photo.