Move Bitch, Move Out Da Way
As we all speak of time we have got pulled over by the police, George, a friend of mine, told me about a traffic stop that I couldn’t really believe. Not that I don’t trust him or his story, I just had to look it up myself.
As George said, he was on the highway going south on 395, just about to take the Manassas 234 exit. As he approached the exit he noticed two cops where up ahead, all lights on and had pulled over some other driver that most likely didn’t need to be bothered by the law. Just after he past these three cars on the side of the road and started taking the exit, the second cop left the traffic stop and pulled George over.
George was not drinking nor speeding. He was given a ticket for not changing lanes to the left as he past the cops on the side of the road. The cop also backed up his story with some bullshit about “feeling his car shake a bit” as George pasted.
I thought that was one of the dumbest tickets I’ve ever heard off. So, I researched it.
Turns out you can get a ticket in Virginia for “failing to yield to an emergency vehicle”, since 2002.
Section 46.2-921.1 of the Code of Virginia states:
§ 46.2-921.1. Drivers to yield right-of-way or reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency vehicles on highways; penalties.
The driver of any motor vehicle, upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, as defined in § 46.2-920, that is displaying a flashing, blinking, or alternating emergency light or lights as provided in §§ 46.2-1022, 46.2-1023, and 46.2-1024, shall (i) on a highway having at least four lanes, at least two of which are intended for traffic proceeding as the approaching vehicle, proceed with caution and, if reasonable, with due regard for safety and traffic conditions, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that occupied by the stationary emergency vehicle or (ii) if changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, proceed with due caution and maintain a safe speed for highway conditions.
Violation of any provision of this section shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor. If the violation resulted in damage to property of another person, the court may, in addition, order the suspension of the driver’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than one year. If the violation resulted in injury to another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not more than two years. If the violation resulted in the death of another person, the court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, order the suspension of the driver’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle for two years.
As I searched I found more and more stories about people being pulled over and surprised.
As the theNewspaper.com states:
Five years ago, the Virginia legislature made it a serious crime to drive past a police officer stopped on the side of the road without changing lanes. As a result, unsuspecting motorists — including those who are not speeding — can nonetheless be caught in a speed trap and face a first degree misdemeanor ticket that carries a fine of up to $2500. Despite the significant financial penalty involved, nearly three-quarters of all motorists have never heard of “move over” laws, according to a Virginia State Police news release issued in July.
Now, I haven’t read anything about outrageous fines and court fees. George didn’t mention anything like that in his story but, he did say while in court, the judge pretty much called him a moron for not knowing all the laws. Just so you reading know, Class 1 misdemeanor isn’t a “pay your ticket online” ticket, it’s a “welp, gotta get up early today for traffic court” ticket.
The jist of it is, if you see a cop on the side of the road, change lanes ASAP, or slow down a lot if you can’t safely move over. And what’s not to say that your actions could then create another unintended dangerous situation on the road? There’s one thing to say, “Hey, I’m working out here, move the fuck over!” vs “I’m just going to pull this car over in the most unsafe area I can find.” My point is made right here in this stupid traffic stop. As you were waiting for the obvious, did you not notice the extra four feet that could had pulled over, and still be on asphalt. Not to mention all the flat land off the road. This could all be simply solved if cops just stopped pulling people over. Then again, there would be no statewide income, resulting in my overly taxed cigarettes to now make me addicted to the lottery and scratch-offs.