

Since 2018, 11 people in Utah have been killed and 37 others seriously injured in crashes on the side of the road.

Jeff Nigbur, assistant superintendent of the UHP. "We're just trying to bring attention to the problem that we're getting hit out on on the roadways," said Maj.
#Slow down move over flag drivers
So he and other crash responders are asking all Utah drivers to focus on safety, so they can make it home to their families. His truck was out of service for four months. Peterson ended up with hairline fractures in his neck. "The vehicle that hit me spun around and basically did a PIT ( pursuit intervention technique) maneuver on my truck," he said. He was driving home three years ago on Thanksgiving Day when he was rear-ended by a drunk driver, who was speeding in a storm. "I felt a jolt in my truck, and it started to fishtail a little bit." "I didn't see him coming," said Peterson. Peterson has been helping with roadside problems the last two decades.įour members of his team have been hit in the last three years, including him. UDOT and the UHP say it's a common sense law - emergency workers need more lifesaving space out there.Alan Peterson, an incident management supervisor with the Utah Department of Transportation, was driving home three years ago on Thanksgiving Day when he was rear-ended by a drunk driver, who was speeding in a storm. Trooper Kevin Elmer, Utah Highway Patrol: ”It's becoming more and more common, as we work on the side of a very busy road." Just nine days ago a motorcycle trooper was hit. Trooper Kevin Elmer, Utah Highway Patrol: “Just move over, slow down and sometimes, just slowing down is all we can do. He looked up in his rear-view mirror just in time to see a red SUV plow into his car at 65-70 miles per hour. He was sitting in his cruiser writing a citation to a speeder. Trooper Kevin Elmer was hit in Utah County last May. But it could go as high as one thousand dollars if you do some serious damage. If you don't make your best effort to move over the class-C misdemeanor will cost you 85 dollars. If you can't change lanes, you must move over as far as practical.Īlan Peterson, Incident Management Specialist: “There are some people out there who don't realize what the law is anymore." When you spot an emergency vehicle on the side of the road you must slow down and move over a lane. Last year lawmakers passed a law to help. More than 150 crashes each year involve emergency vehicles. He's one of a dozen UDOT Incident Management Specialists on the Wasatch Front and among hundreds of state troopers and other emergency vehicles that work the side of the interstate with cars and trucks flying by.Īlan Peterson, Incident Management Specialist: “When we're out there, I don't think people realize how dangerous it is to be out on the side of the road." If you break down on the side of the road Alan Peterson just might be your good Samaritan. Some drivers get it, others don't, but state troopers are ready to write tickets. It's called the "Slow Down, Move Over" law. More than a year ago, lawmakers passed a law that aims to protect emergency vehicles pulled off on the side of the highway. Compliance can mean the difference between life and death, so UDOT and the UHP need the help of all drivers.
#Slow down move over flag crack
Jed Boal ReportingState Troopers will start to crack down on a year-old traffic law that has not caught everyone's attention yet. Reading or replaying the story in itsĪrchived form does not constitute a republication of the story. Only for your personal, non-commercial use.
