Yesterday, National Traffic Incident Response Week kicked off. The goal of this week is to promote the “Move Over” law while emphasizing responder safety.

This year, more than ever, we need everyone’s participation in this outreach effort. Across the country, there has been an alarming increase in the number of struck-by fatalities, with 39 responders killed in 2019 while working/responding to traffic accidents. You may think these are all fire and police, but the number breaks down as follows:  15 law enforcement officers, 8 fire/rescue personnel, 13 tow truck drivers, and 3 mobile mechanics.

Florida’s Move Over law requires motorists to move over 1 lane, or slow down to 20mph if they can’t move over safely, whenever passing vehicles with emergency lights activated, including police, fire/rescue, Road Rangers, tow trucks, utility trucks, and waste disposal trucks.

Protect those who show up when you need them most. If you or your family needs to pull off the road for any type of vehicle emergency, please instruct your family to move as far away from the road as possible.