Recently the RCMP and CAA Manitoba set up a mock incident on Hwy 1 where an emergency vehicle was at the side of the road assisting a motorist.
The tow truck was pulled over near St. Francois Xavier at the side of the Trans-Canada Highway, set to assist a stalled vehicle. 316 vehicles had driven past the incident. Almost all vehicles failed to slow down and “move over,” an offense that would include a $300 ticket and 2 demerits.
Drivers must slow down to 40 km/h when the posted speed limit is less than 79 km/h. You need to slow down to 60 km/h when the posted speed limit is 80 km/h or higher. Motorists are required to also move to a traffic lane farthest from the emergency vehicle if possible.
Some important areas of the assessment included:
– Nearly 11% of drivers observed did not move over at all
– 83% of the drivers observed did move over to the next lane, but of those, only 1% slowed down to 60 km/h
– One motorcycle passing the scene was not moved over and travelling 123 km/h
– One semi failing to slow down and move over was doing 107 km/h
– The average speed of those who did move over but did not slow down was 101 km/h
– The average speed of those who did not move over was 98 km/h
Although no tickets were issued, this mock incident is a reminder that Manitobans are failing to obey this law. This is the type of risk our workers face each day on the roads. Please respect the safety of our tow truck operators and slow down and move over.