Always 'Move Over' for emergency vehicles

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson recently released a public service announcement calling on motorists to follow Michigan’s “Move Over” law that protects the lives of emergency responders who have stopped their vehicle on a roadway.

“Twenty-four hours each day, emergency personnel are on duty working to protect us from harm,” Johnson said. “We ask motorists to return the favor—and follow the law—by moving over a lane when they see police and fire vehicles, ambulances, tow trucks or other emergency responders stopped on the road or the edge of the road.”

Johnson, Michigan State Police Director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue and several emergency responders are featured in the video, which begins with state police footage of a tow truck driver narrowly escaping with his life as a car smashes into his vehicle.

Michigan’s Emergency Vehicle Caution Law, which went into effect in 2001, requires that when drivers see a stationary emergency vehicle or tow truck pulled over with its flashing, rotating or oscillating lights on, passing motorists must move over at least one lane or two vehicle widths. If moving over cannot be accomplished, motorists must slow down and pass with caution. Violators face fines or jail.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the No. 1 cause of law enforcement deaths is traffic incidents. According to a report cited by the Pew Center, each year about six to eight fire rescue and emergency medical service personnel are killed in or near moving traffic, as are 10 to 12 police officers. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute estimates that a tow operator is killed every six days in the United States while providing roadside or towing services.

Impaired driving can kill

Nearly 46 percent of Michigan’s traffic fatalities in 2017 occurred in an impaired driving crash. 

Impairment can be caused by prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, illegal drugs, alcohol or other substances. Always check the warning labels on prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications to see if it’s safe to drive while using them. 

Any type of impaired driving is illegal and unsafe. Drugged driving can be especially dangerous when drugs and alcohol are combined. 

Visit SOS Substance Abuse and Driving for more information.  

"Safe driving involves more than learning the basics of operating a vehicle and memorizing the rules of the road. Safe driving also requires good judgment and reflexes, experience, patience and common sense." Ruth Johnson Secretary of State

Video: Distracted driving can change everything

Driving is a complex task that requires your attention when behind the wheel. 

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning has produced Sam Howell’s Journey: The Dangers of Distracted Driving to help drive home that message. 

Sam is a Michigan resident who was injured in a distracted driving crash. The Howell family shares their story as a reminder to avoid driving while distracted. 

Please remember to keep your hands on the wheel and off your phone.

New laws will better protect bicyclists in MI

Michigan's Legislature recently passed and Gov. Rick Snyder signed new laws intended to better protect bicyclists on the state's roadways.

Read an article in the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News by Sen. Wayne Schmidt about the changes.

Watch a video on bicycle safety from Secretary Johnson and the Michigan Department of Transportation