New MD traffic law

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

This law has been in place for years for emergency vehicles and tow trucks on the shoulder. You don’t have to move over, but if you don’t/can’t, you need to slow way down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

This law has been in place for years for emergency vehicles and tow trucks on the shoulder. You don’t have to move over, but if you don’t/can’t, you need to slow way down.

And what is the precise legal definition of “way down?” Suppose the cop’s “way down” is slower than yours.

Move over laws are absolutely asinine and unbelievably dangerous. Cars swerving all over the road at speed, first because a cop (who could have picked a different place to pull somebody over) is on the shoulder, and now for any Tom, Dick or Harry who has his “magic flashers” on.

Negligent driving is already unlawful. Speed greater than reasonable and prudent under prevailing conditions is already unlawful.

This is just more dreamland, control freak nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

This law has been in place for years for emergency vehicles and tow trucks on the shoulder. You don’t have to move over, but if you don’t/can’t, you need to slow way down.

And what is the precise legal definition of “way down?” Suppose the cop’s “way down” is slower than yours.

Move over laws are absolutely asinine and unbelievably dangerous. Cars swerving all over the road at speed, first because a cop (who could have picked a different place to pull somebody over) is on the shoulder, and now for any Tom, Dick or Harry who has his “magic flashers” on.

Negligent driving is already unlawful. Speed greater than reasonable and prudent under prevailing conditions is already unlawful.

This is just more dreamland, control freak nonsense.

I would guess that at least 70% of drivers on Maryland roads are unaware of the existing law based on daily travel on highways observing people who neither slow nor move over when there are emergency vehicles on the shoulder with lights flashing. I can recall several occasions when I came upon a stopped emergency vehicle, could not change lanes, and slowed to a speed of about 40 on a highway, only to have the driver behind me ride up on my tail, honk at me, and then follow me while honking and yelling. I felt more unsafe than the drivers on the shoulder.

I can't imagine that anyone gets a ticket for violating this law. Very few people follow it.

[Anonymous]

My dad did get a ticket for failing to move over for a cop parked on the shoulder. This was years ago after first moving to Maryland, and in a smaller region outside of the DMV. But they do have authority to ticket for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

This law has been in place for years for emergency vehicles and tow trucks on the shoulder. You don’t have to move over, but if you don’t/can’t, you need to slow way down.

I did not think it was safe then but the number of incidents was far smaller than for every car. Waze is constantly telling me "Vehicle on the shoulder ahead" This will be a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

This law has been in place for years for emergency vehicles and tow trucks on the shoulder. You don’t have to move over, but if you don’t/can’t, you need to slow way down.

And what is the precise legal definition of “way down?” Suppose the cop’s “way down” is slower than yours.

Move over laws are absolutely asinine and unbelievably dangerous. Cars swerving all over the road at speed, first because a cop (who could have picked a different place to pull somebody over) is on the shoulder, and now for any Tom, Dick or Harry who has his “magic flashers” on.

Negligent driving is already unlawful. Speed greater than reasonable and prudent under prevailing conditions is already unlawful.

This is just more dreamland, control freak nonsense.

If you're darker-skinned than the officer, by definition you won't slow down enough.

/jk (hopefully)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dad did get a ticket for failing to move over for a cop parked on the shoulder. This was years ago after first moving to Maryland, and in a smaller region outside of the DMV. But they do have authority to ticket for this.

I got a warning for this right after the law passed.

[Anonymous]

I think I've been moving over for a decade or more. Obviously, it can't be done in super heavy traffic, but slowing down at the very least is common sense when there are people out of their cars on the shoulder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:. Cars swerving all over the road at speed,

so how would that be any different than any other trip around the beltway or on a maryland road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

This law has been in place for years for emergency vehicles and tow trucks on the shoulder. You don’t have to move over, but if you don’t/can’t, you need to slow way down.

And what is the precise legal definition of “way down?” Suppose the cop’s “way down” is slower than yours.

Move over laws are absolutely asinine and unbelievably dangerous. Cars swerving all over the road at speed, first because a cop (who could have picked a different place to pull somebody over) is on the shoulder, and now for any Tom, Dick or Harry who has his “magic flashers” on.

Negligent driving is already unlawful. Speed greater than reasonable and prudent under prevailing conditions is already unlawful.

This is just more dreamland, control freak nonsense.

Maturity and empathy are what allows us to envision what might happen to ourselves if we ever find ourselves in a precarious location on the side of the road where a law like this (due to the absence of ordinary courtesy) might save our lives. Or the lives of the people like tow truck drivers.

I’m sorry you’re lacking in both those things. We’re all more at-risk because of people like you who similarly lack maturity and empathy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/09/29/maryland-move-over-law/

Am I the only one concerned about the safety of a whole lane of traffic trying to merge over on short notice on our busy highways...for every car that is left on the shoulder?

This law has been in place for years for emergency vehicles and tow trucks on the shoulder. You don’t have to move over, but if you don’t/can’t, you need to slow way down.

And what is the precise legal definition of “way down?” Suppose the cop’s “way down” is slower than yours.

Move over laws are absolutely asinine and unbelievably dangerous. Cars swerving all over the road at speed, first because a cop (who could have picked a different place to pull somebody over) is on the shoulder, and now for any Tom, Dick or Harry who has his “magic flashers” on.

Negligent driving is already unlawful. Speed greater than reasonable and prudent under prevailing conditions is already unlawful.

This is just more dreamland, control freak nonsense.

Maturity and empathy are what allows us to envision what might happen to ourselves if we ever find ourselves in a precarious location on the side of the road where a law like this (due to the absence of ordinary courtesy) might save our lives. Or the lives of the people like tow truck drivers.

I’m sorry you’re lacking in both those things. We’re all more at-risk because of people like you who similarly lack maturity and empathy.

+1
I know someone who lost a family member this way. He was trying to change a tire on the side of the road when a passing car veered too close. Perhaps that wouldn’t have happened if that driver was watching and either slowed down or merged over.

Let’s just try to help each other, ok? This law isn’t asking for much from us.

[Anonymous]

I would have hoped people were doing this anyway ….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would have hoped people were doing this anyway ….

This is common in America. But not around here. This is dcum-land, where people think they’re being inconvenienced by not being able to blast by someone changing a tire 18” away on the shoulder at 70mph.

Some of the very worst people in this country live here, and some of them post on this website.