By Carrie Petersen
For the Gazette-Times | Posted: Saturday, November 8, 2008 12:00 am
Mid-valley commuters on Highway 34 on Friday morning found themselves in the middle of an Oregon State Police saturation patrol to enforce the state's "Move Over" law.
The enforcement began Thursday and went from 7 to 9:30 a.m. both mornings.
Three OSP troopers worked Thursday, and four troopers along with two Linn County sheriff's deputies patrolled Friday morning on an eight-mile stretch west of Interstate 5.
Twenty-two drivers got tickets for not moving over for emergency vehicles and 30 were given warnings. Officers also wrote 22 tickets for speeding and gave three warnings for speed. They issued 21 other warnings for other traffic violations.
The OSP Albany office decided to conduct the saturation patrols after realizing that "people were not paying attention and getting in the other lane like they are supposed to," said OSP Sgt. Craig Flierl.
Oregon's "Move Over" law, which has been in effect for five years, says that if you are driving up behind or next to any type of emergency vehicle - police car, ambulance or public safety vehicle - working on the roadside with emergency lights flashing, you must move over to another lane. If you can't safely change lanes, you must slow down.
Most of those who received tickets during this enforcement were drivers who didn't move over when the inside lane was open or who passed by two or more patrol cars, Flierl said.
A fine for not moving over can be as much as $355.
David Champion of Lebanon was one of those who got a ticket Friday. His fine was $242. He called the Democrat-Herald about the saturation patrols, saying they were "unreasonable."
"They were pulling people over left and right," he said. "People are trying to focus on getting to work."
Champion said he wasn't completely aware of the "Move Over" law but knew to exercise caution when passing patrol cars, so he slowed down.
Police say the law is important.
"We're out there trying to do our job as safely as possible," Flierl said.
His office is likely do more "Move Over" patrols through the holiday season.
THE HISTORY
Oregon's "Move Over" law was enacted after a drowsy driver drove onto the shoulder of Interstate 5 south of Ankeny Hill in September 2001 and struck three police officers who were assisting a family in a disabled van. Oregon State Police Senior Trooper Maria Mignano, 39, and off-duty Albany Officer Jason Hoerauf, 29, were killed. OSP Sgt. John Burright was critically injured and still has not completely recovered. Forty-eight states have similar laws but, according to OSP, a recent study indicates about 70 percent of Americans are unaware of the laws.