During the month of February, BC Highway Patrol will be out in force throughout the province to reinforce with motorists the need to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped alongside the road that have lights flashing.

In B.C., motorists must reduce their speed and move into the far lane to give extra space to stopped vehicles with flashing red, blue or yellow lights.

This includes 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.

“Think of it as the 70/40 rule,” said Chief Superintendent Holly Turton, Officer in Charge of BC Highway Patrol.

“We want to ensure that not only emergency workers are safe, but that land surveyors, garbage collectors, animal control workers, and others who work on our roads are safe doing their work on the highways as well.

“Our goal is to ensure drivers slow down and move over to prevent injuries or possible fatalities,” said Turton. “When our officers on the side of the road are helping motorists, it is extremely dangerous to have vehicles travelling by at top speeds.”

What are the penalties of failing to slow down and move over?

Drivers failing to adjust their speed or failing to move over may receive a $173 violation ticket, which also carries three driver penalty points.

Most workers can relate to near misses and unsettling experiences roadside by inconsiderate or uninformed motorists. According to the province’s last analysis, 230 workers have been hit by motor vehicles while working beside or on the road, 12 of who tragically died and all of which were preventable.

BCHP asks all drivers to do their part by slowing down and moving over so that we can make our highways safer together.

BC Highway Patrol photo

BC Highway Patrol

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