Following the death last month of a Michigan State Police trooper on the side of I-75 in Saginaw County, drivers are being reminded of one of their duties when behind the wheel.
Michigan State Police Lieutenant DuWayne Robinson out of Paw Paw tells us the state has a Move-Over Law, which requires drivers to give space to emergency vehicles on the side of the road.
“They need to slow down to at least ten miles an hour below the posted speed limit and then move over at least one lane if there’s a lane available,” Robinson said. “If not, with the already reduced speed, proceed past with extreme caution.”
Robinson says it’s dangerous for a police officer to stand on the side of a highway when vehicles are passing by at 75 miles per hour. The least drivers could do is follow the Move-Over Law.
“Understand that officers all around the state and the nation are putting their lives at risk every day going out and performing their duty, and the least we can do as the motoring public is understand that we need to give them some space to be able to do that.”
A stretch of I-94 in Van Buren County is named after the Paw Paw Post’s Trooper Rick Johnson, who was killed in 2000 while on the side of the road during a traffic stop.
Robinson says failing to obey the Move-Over Law can result in a $400 ticket. He adds while it’s not the law to move over for every vehicle on the side of the road, it is an appropriate courtesy drivers should give.
