Tennessee’s Cleveland Utilities is ramping up its efforts to keep its workers safe by reminding the public that utility trucks are part of the state’s “move over” law, according to WRCBtv.com.
The "Move Over Law," which passed in 2006, is a part of the State Law: Move Over for Stopped Emergency Vehicles "Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicles Law" (T.C.A. 55-8-132) and requires motorists to move over into the adjacent lane of traffic, when safe to do so, or alternatively to slow down for emergency vehicles. In 2011, the law was expanded to include utility service equipment to the list of vehicles for which motorists are required to either slow down or move over.
According to John Corum, safety director for Cleveland Utilities, the service provider generally has more than 80 workers on the road each day. "When we're parked on the side of the road, it increases the danger for utility workers," Corum told WRCBtv.
Cleveland Utilities recently added “move over” bumper stickers to its fleet, as a visual reminder to drivers on top of the flashing lights, cones, and signs. "If you can't at all move over, as the law states, if you can't, at the very least, slow down until you get through that work traffic zone and then you can go on your way," Corum told the news source.
Tennessee was the 30th state to establish a move over law which creates a safety zone to protect police, firefighters, other emergency personnel, and utility workers.
The penalty for violating the "Move Over Law" in Tennessee is a maximum fine of up to $500 and possibly up to 30 days in jail.
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