Too many drivers not slowing down near roadside workers

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Do you “slow down and move over” for emergency vehicles? An Insights West poll has found too many drivers still aren’t obeying that law, prompting a warning from BCAA.

The survey commissioned by the association found while most people knew the law, almost half had witnessed someone speeding past a roadside scene.

“The majority of drivers, 84 per cent, actually claim to be aware of the “slow down, move over” law. But when we put them to the test they came up short, which tells us there’s still a lack of understanding of what drivers are meant to do when they do come across a roadside scene,” says Nilea Melanio with BCAA.

That law requires drivers to slow down and move over for any stopped vehicle that has flashing red, blue or yellow lights, in order to allow roadside workers the room they need to do their jobs safely.

Of those surveyed, over 80 per cent incorrectly identified the speed reduction required by the law, 59 per cent were unaware of which coloured flashing lights are indicators to follow the law and almost half (43%) didn’t know that they needed to change lanes.

“Knowing it and understanding it are two different things,” says Melanio.

“There are tens [of] thousands of British Columbians that work at the side of the road doing their jobs. And just like you and me, they want to get home, they want to be safe.”

According to BCAA, more than 240 roadside workers were hit by passing vehicles between 2004 and 2013. 15 of them died.