Slow Down & Move Over for ALL Roadside Workers

Slow DownAs 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.

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