New measures on road safety will come into force in Quebec this Sunday August 5th, 2012. This new legislation will take place under articles 406.1 and 311.1 of the Highway Safety Code (R.S.Q., chapter C 24.2). These new measures are already in place in seven Canadian provinces and most of the United States.
The main goal of the move over law is to ensure the safety of roadside workers following several accidents, some of which were deadly.
The law applies when in presence of an “emergency vehicle or tow truck with its flashing or rotating lights activated”.
« Emergency vehicle » meaning: fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, and road vehicles.
Said vehicles must have their flashing lights, rotating lights or yellow arrow activated. Otherwise, the law does not apply as they are not considered in intervention.
Moreover, the vehicles must be either “stopped in a lane of a public highway” or “on the shoulder or on a lane contiguous to the lane in which the road vehicle is t
ravelling”.
In any event, the first thing to do is to slow down or even stop when one of the above-mentioned vehicles is spotted.
Furthermore, if the emergency vehicle is found immobilized on a lane, the driver must by-pass it by safely changing lanes. In case of a two-way roadway, the driver must insure that he can use the contiguous lane safely. Otherwise, it is mandatory to yield the right of way to any vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.
If an emergency vehicle is found immobilized on the shoulder or on a contiguous lane to that on which the driver is travelling, the latter must, if possible, leave one free lane between their vehicle and the stopped vehicle. If not, the driver must leave as much distance between the two vehicles while remaining on the same lane.
Lastly, some moving road vehicles can be equipped with a yellow arrow light signal indicating a direction. The approaching driver must change lanes in the direction indicated, after having reduced their speed. In the event that no lane is available in the direction indicated, the driver must use the shoulder.
Failure to observe these new measures could result in 4 demerit points, as well as a fine that could amount to 300 $.
