Defensive Driving Resource

Do You Know about Florida’s Move Over Law?

No matter what state you live in, laws are constantly changing.  For example, in recent years, many states have adopted “move over laws” to help protect law enforcement and emergency personnel while they are working on the roadside. Do you know the requirements of Florida’s Move Over Law? If not, you should! Obeying this law could save a life.

Requirements of Florida’s Move Over Law

The Florida Highway Patrol official website has this to say about Florida’s Move Over Law:

“Florida’s Move Over Law requires drivers to move over away from stopped emergency vehicles wherever possible or to slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit or to five mph when the speed limit is 20 mph or less. The ‘Move Over Act,’ passed during the 2002 session of the Florida Legislature, was signed by Governor Jeb Bush on May 1, 2002.

There have been several collisions involving law enforcement officers on the side of highways while they were conducting traffic stops in Florida. One of those resulted in the untimely death of Deputy Ryan Seguin, a 23-year-old deputy of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Seguin was struck and killed by a passing vehicle on February 15, 2006, while he conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 595 in Broward County.”

Are you up to date on your state’s current driving laws? If you haven’t checked to see if your state’s driving laws have changed recently, you may be in for a big surprise. Hopefully you won’t be informed of the changes by way of receiving a traffic citation.

Most American families have a minimum of at least two drivers in the household. With the high cost of automobile loans, maintenance and insurance, added to the fact that people who drive usually do so pretty much every single day, doesn’t it make sense to know whether or not you are obeying your local driving laws?

Just go to your state’s DMV or comparable website to find out what you should know.

For example, in Florida:

  • It is illegal when riding a motorcycle to “pop a wheelie”
  • Law enforcement is authorized to obtain electronic fingerprints when they are unable to identify a driver at the roadside
  • A person who knowingly loans a vehicle to a driver whose driver license is suspended and a crash results which causes bodily injury or death, the person who loaned the vehicle shall have their license suspended for one year.

These are just a few things that could easily affect you personally, which you should be aware of.

To find your state’s driving laws, simply locate your state’s DMV or comparable website.

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