State Sen. Greg Evers (R-Okaloosa) is sponsoring a bill (SB 478) that will require drivers to slow down or move over a lane when approaching a utility vehicle parked on the side of a road.
Motorists would have to make way for crews working on electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, cable, telephone and other communications services.
Evers said utility crews often work during storms and other bad weather.
“Those folks that, especially during storms, are trying to get our power and our utilities back up, we should give them the ability that they are not worrying about dodging cars,” he said.
The bill is modeled after Florida’s 11-year-old “Move Over” law, which requires motorists to move over a lane, or slow down to a speed that is 20 mph less than the posted speed limit, when they approach emergency vehicles parked on roadsides. No House companion to Evers’ bill has been filed.
–Source: News Service of Florida
