As of Jan. 1, 2015, motorists are required to Slow Down and Move Over, for ALL vehicles stopped alongside the road, which have flashing red, blue or yellow lights.
The Motor Vehicle Act regulation was changed to provide maintenance workers, utility workers, land surveyors, animal control workers, rural postal delivery workers and garbage collectors with greater protection from accident and injury. These workers are now included in “Slow Down, Move Over” legislation in the BC Motor Vehicle Act, which also protects the operators of emergency and enforcement vehicles and tow trucks.
Where the speed limit is 80 km/h or higher, drivers must slow to 70 km/h, if they approach a vehicle stopped at the roadside with its lights flashing, Where the limit is below 80 km/h, drivers must reduce their speed to 40 km/h. (Hint: think of it as the 70/40 rule.)
On undivided highways, this applies to motorists approaching the parked vehicle from either direction. If the vehicle is stopped on the driver’s side of the road, and there is another lane going in the same direction, drivers must move into that lane, if it is safe to do so.
The ministry has more than 80 signs along provincial highways, alerting drivers to slow down and move over, when passing stopped emergency or towing vehicles. These signs have been revised to indicate that drivers must slow down and move over for ALL vehicles flashing red, blue or yellow.
This comment tells me that this information &/or page needs to be updated or stale-dated:
“ The signs will be revised in early 2015 to indicate that drivers must slow down and move over for ALL vehicles flashing red, blue or yellow.”
Noted and updated – thanks Clare!
What about flaggers? What about my mother as she trys to change a flat?
Maybe it should be for anyone.
I recently watched every single vehicle on the Antony Henday in Edmonton continue to drive 100km/hr past 2 tow trucks, and they don’t even bother to change lanes. In fact anyone in a loud lifted diesel thought it was the get time to gear down and make some noise.
The law doesn’t work unless it is enforced! I have an idea to make it work…
Thanks for your feedback Troy.
Best practice is to slow down and move over for ANYONE roadside.
Does the regulation include pilot vehicles stopped with amber lights flashing??
Hi Heather,
Yes, it does.
OMG…read the sign. Slow Down, Move Over – For anything with Red, Blue or Amber Flashing Lights. How about we think of it this way. If you were required, as a part of your job, to stand on the edge of the road, one foot from death, would you want people to slow down and move over, or would you want them to keep texting, looking down at their phone driving 20 km/hr over the speed limit?
excellant decision..but we all know all roads are used as speedways..especially in and around Langley. 50k speed means 80k speed, and 80 speed means 100+.Need more enforcement..but that is costly to taxpayers!! DC.