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Governor signs 'move over' bill

By Gordon Y.K. Pang

POSTED:
LAST UPDATED: 05:14 a.m. HST, Jul 11, 2012

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARADVERTISER.COM
The "move over" bill signed into law today was prompted in part by the death of Honolulu police officer Garret Davis in January in a motor vehicle accident on the eastbound side of the H-1 freeway near the Kaonohi Street overpass in Aiea.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie Tuesday morning signed into law a bill requiring motorists to move over a lane or at least slow down when approaching stopped emergency vehicles.

Hawaii was the only state in the union to not have a "move over" bill and previous attempts to pass such a law stalled in the state Legislature. But the deaths of Honolulu police officers Eric Fontes and Garret Davis while on traffic stops on Oahu highways in the last year played a crucial role in creating momentum for House Bill 2030 this past session.

The final form of the bill requires motorists to make a lane change away from a parked emergency vehicle where necessary and safe to do so, or to at the very least “slow down to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe under the circumstances of an emergency road situation ahead.”

An emergency vehicle is defined as a vehicle belonging to the police, fire, ocean safety, emergency medical services and freeway service patrol agencies, as well as tow trucks.

While Abercrombie urged motorists to turn in people who violate the new law, supporters of the measure said that creating awareness to the dangers faced by emergency responders on a daily basis was the biggest impact of the bill.

The law went into effect upon the governor’s signature.






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jomama wrote:
how about a move over bill for slow folks in the left lane
on July 10,2012 | 06:26AM
dalawyer wrote:
Awesome Neil! Didn't realize that you'll be moving over to the unemployment line when you get dumped by your so called constituents!
on July 10,2012 | 03:03PM
loquaciousone wrote:
How do you move over when you're too busy checking your email while driving?
on July 10,2012 | 07:16AM
soundofreason wrote:
At the next red light - I'm going to respond to you :/
on July 10,2012 | 06:44PM
CloudForest wrote:
CDS (Can't Drive Syndrome) is an epidemic on Hawaii highways. There should be a fine and points for not moving over to the slow lane if you are driving slow (or otherwise confused), it would be awesome and effective for moving traffic along.
on July 10,2012 | 07:34AM
HonoluluHawaii wrote:
We have 85 year old drivers that think they have the same reflexes as 35 year olds. See my You Tube video "Van stopped in Fast Lane leads to Near Disaster".
on July 10,2012 | 07:37PM
SteveToo wrote:
When does it go into effect? And how far over to move? ONe lane?
on July 10,2012 | 07:50AM
kulanakai wrote:
Yes, it should be move over and keep going. Not move over slow down and look
on July 10,2012 | 08:10AM
bobbob wrote:
And definitely not brake and come to a complete stop on the freeway when the cars are doing 50-60.
on July 10,2012 | 12:00PM
allie wrote:
It only makes common sense! Move over. Geesh
on July 10,2012 | 01:36PM
stogie002 wrote:
Ever here the saying "Common sense isn't so common"!?!?
on July 10,2012 | 03:28PM
ricekidd wrote:
I guess people who post here also needs Drivers ED.... When you see or hear a Emergency You slow down and pull over to either side and let the Ambulance go by.... Naoe of you people in Hawaii know that uh?
on July 10,2012 | 08:19AM
E_Ogawa wrote:
That is not what this bill is about. It's about giving a one-lane buffer when you see an emergency vehicle or police car parked on the side of the road. If you're implying that people in Hawaii don't yield to ambulances, then you don't know what you're talking about. I see it all the time. If you wanna see drivers not giving a s**t about emergency vehicles, go to Manhattan.
on July 10,2012 | 09:50AM
atilter wrote:
may be true in manhattan - but this is hawaii. ANY IMPEDIMENT is never good!
on July 10,2012 | 03:41PM
residenttaxpayer wrote:
Los Angeles also.
on July 10,2012 | 08:44PM
HonoluluHawaii wrote:
Without knowing about this bill and also keeping the daily news in mind, I thought "move over" meant for homeless to "move over" away from a dangerous location near the asphalt.

While we are at it, would there be enough knowing of the traffic such that guidance be given to motorists to move "forward" to clear the slowed area?


on July 10,2012 | 01:19PM
stingray65 wrote:
Why making the law and no one enforced them? Not even on duty police officer know how to use his turn signal!! Or Police officer using his Cell phone on duty? I know they are using the radio on board the vehicles. Cell phones? Off duty or on duty, they think they own the road..It is a common sense to over over to the next lane..I hope they give tickets to the offenders as well as using cell phones while driving. Maybe the $250.00 fines might get the attentions of offenders.
on July 10,2012 | 01:49PM
gary360 wrote:
Actually why even bother with a fine. If you get a ticket for, say speeding, and the 'law' states you should be fined $200.00, all you have to do is contest it in court and the judge will fine you about $50.00, if you're lucky.
on July 11,2012 | 06:37AM
Willieboy wrote:
so now it is against the law if you don't slow down and rubberneck...... brilliant! and how do you define a prudent and resonable speed that is safe? no way HPD will be able to enforce this law and have it held up in court!
on July 10,2012 | 02:02PM
al_kiqaeda wrote:
One more law that was made in good faith, but not common sense. I had a driver in front of me last month who thought the law was already in effect. It will just be a few days until we have accidents caused by this new law.
on July 10,2012 | 02:21PM
stogie002 wrote:
again "common sense isn't so common".....
on July 10,2012 | 03:32PM
HonoluluHawaii wrote:
Have u guys heard of the book called "Traffic" ? One of the compelling analogies that the author makes is that Ants have a way of self-directing themselves along their gravy train. The author writes that Ants are so efficient in their own way that they do not have egos to compete among themselves for the leftover Teri Chicken from Zippy's. Ants make an orderly line to the morsels and back to their "coop" along the same line. And .... they do not need cops to direct their traffic. They "move over" quite naturally.
on July 10,2012 | 04:01PM
GeoDiva wrote:
How much more vague can you get then "slow down to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe under the circumstances of an emergency road situation ahead"? The first ticket issued should be able to fight it.
on July 10,2012 | 03:01PM
atilter wrote:
law is only as good as the enforcement behind it!
on July 10,2012 | 03:38PM
Kawika442 wrote:
Slower traffic keep right - Not side by side blocking the flow of traffic. The majority of the accidents are caused due to drivers jockeying from lane to lane trying to pass these slow pokes in the left lane. Slow traffic in the left lane cost the people of Hawaii millions of dollars in time and gas, not to mention injury and death. A man died on H-1 trying to pass on the left shoulder, you know someone was blocking the left lane and some drivers admit they do this on purpose to control the speed limit, these vigilantees should be fined $250 like they are in other states. 49 other states enforce "Slower Traffic Keep Right", but not Hawaii! Add this to your new law Neil and save some more lives and money for your people. Slower traffic keep right is in your Hawaii Drivers Manual....all you have to do is enforce it.
on July 10,2012 | 05:03PM
HD36 wrote:
I wonder how we managed to survive so many years without another law passed by an overpaid politician.
on July 10,2012 | 10:53PM
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