Cops by the Side of the Road

There's a new law on the books. Well, new since I got my license. It's been around for a few years, but I only noticed it this year. It's this rule that you must move over one lane if there is a police car by the side of the road. I first ran into this on one of my trips to Eugene. We were just sailing along on the freeway when all of a sudden traffic slowed to a crawl. Eventually we crest a hill and I can see what the hold up is. There is a copper and another car stopped on the side of the road up ahead, and everyone is moving over into the high speed lane. The right lane is empty. What the heck is going on? I've never seen this behavior before. I make like a good little sheeple and follow along in the high speed lane until we get past this bottleneck.

Since then I've run into similar situations several times, and it got me wondering just what the rule was because all this sudden slowing and merging looked like a disaster waiting to happen.

Today I finally looked it up and it's not called the side of the road rule, it's called the move over rule, and it does not require that you move over. Move over if it's safe, or if not, just slow down. The Oregon law doesn't require that you slow down much, just five miles per hour under the limit. Other places may require you to slow as much as 20 MPH. I think the main object is to get you to pay attention.



Not too long ago there was big, electric, gas-generator-powered road construction sign sitting on the shoulder of Jackson School Road just South of Highway 26. It had been there for a couple of weeks at least, and one day I drove by and someone in a black SUV had slammed square into it. Made a mess of the sign and the car. How can you do something like that? Then there was the woman who drove her big black SUV square through the railing off the Morrison bridge in downtown Portland. That one I could at least imagine happening. This running into the sign just baffled me.

Anyway, here's a quote from the Oregon Department of Transportation:

Drivers must now move over to a non adjacent lane (or slow down) when approaching the rear of a tow truck or roadside assistance vehicle that is providing assistance to a disabled vehicle on the roadway. The original law covers police, fire and ambulance vehicles.

Now, you must move over if possible to another available lane (or slow down if you can't move over or if the move would be unsafe) when approaching the rear of an Emergency vehicle, tow truck or roadside assistance vehicle that has it's amber, red or blue flashers activated.

Slow down means reducing your vehicles speed by at least five miles per hour below the posted speed of the roadway. HB 2040 requires drivers to slow down at least 5 mph below the posted speed if making a lane change (moving over) is unsafe or impossible (i.e. two-lane road.)

Most importantly, drivers should be alert. If you can safely move over when approaching a disabled vehicle receiving assistance, do so. If you can't, then slow down!

The fine for this violation is currently $287.00 ($400.00 if the location is within a Safety Corridor, School Zone or Work Zone).

The Law (adding tow trucks and roadside assistance vehicles) Becomes Effective:

January 1, 2010