Fort Frances, Ont. – Ontario Provincial Police are gearing up for the launch of the Move Over campaign this long weekend.
Every day, emergency response workers including the police, paramedics, firefighters and tow truck drivers risk their lives to respond to emergency situations on Ontario’s highways.
OPP want to remind the public that motorists have a duty to move over and allow room for stopped emergency vehicles.
According to police, in 2017, the OPP laid more than 2,100 charges against drivers who were in a position to but failed to move over.
As of mid-June, the numbers of charges were at 932.
There are steps that drivers need to take when an emergency vehicle is approaching in either direction.
- On a two-lane road, signal and move to the right. Pull as close as possible to the right edge of the road, clear of any intersection and stop.
- In an intersection:
- Traffic in all directions must yield to emergency vehicles,
- Don't block the intersection,
- If an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind you, don't make a left turn - proceed straight through the intersection, then pull to the right and stop.
Failing to move over for parked emergency vehicles can result in drivers being charged if they don’t slow down or move over when safe to do so.
For more information, you can visit: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/emergency-vehicles.shtml
