The BC Highway Patrol will be out in force this month to reinforce the need to Slow Down and Move Over for all vehicles stopped alongside the road that have lights flashing.
In BC, motorists are required to reduce their speed and move into the far lane to give extra space to stopped vehicles with flashing red, blue or yellow lights, including emergency vehicles, tow trucks, construction, maintenance, and utility vehicles.
Drivers are required to reduce their speed to:
- 70 km/h where the posted speed limit is 80 km/h or higher
- 40 km/h in a less than 80 km/h zone
“We want to ensure that not only emergency workers are safe, but land surveyors, garbage collectors, animal control workers, and others who work on our roads are safe doing their work on the highways as well,” said Chief Superintendent Holly Turton.
“Our goal is to ensure drivers slow down and move over to prevent injuries or possible fatalities. When our officers on the side of the road are helping motorists, it is extremely dangerous to have vehicles travelling by at top speeds.”
Fines for failing to adjust speed or move over can be a $173 violation ticket, which comes with three driver penalty points.
According to the province’s last analysis, 230 workers have been hit by motor vehicles while working on or beside the road, 12 of them have died.