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Why California Drivers Should Respect The Move-Over Law?

The government needs to keep public roads and highways in good condition. Sometimes, government crews work on a roadway while drivers are using that same paved path. At that time, the government must deal with the fact that any crew member might stand at risk for being hit by a passing motorist.

How do government officials deal with that problem? Most states in the United States have chosen to pass a Move-Over Law. California has joined the states that expect drivers to honor that law’s stipulations.

What is the move-over law, and what driving behavior does it regulate?

That law helps to protect the crews that work on a public road. It mandates that each driver must slow down and move into an alternate lane, when passing someone that is working on the road, and when that same worker does not enjoy the protection provided by a special barrier.

How is that law enforced?

If an officer patrolling a highway finds that some motorist has failed to obey the move-over law, then that same officer can issue a paper that forces the guilty motorist to pay a fine. If payment of a fine does not push the fined motorist to improve his or her behavior, a second aspect of the move-over law’s enforcement might.

The government has made clear the risk that any driver takes, if he or she decides to disregard the stipulations in the move-over law. If a driver’s failure to heed those stipulations results in the occurrence of an accident, the guilty driver can be held liable for any damages. Hence, the government places a priority on enforcement of the move-over law.

How are the actions of the road crew regulated?

The government does not deny the fact that a group of road workers might make the drivers’ lane too narrow, or might fail to put up any warning sign. In fact, it is possible that a road worker might leave a piece of equipment on the roadway, allowing it to obstruct the drivers’ path.

If a motorist has encountered that problem, then he or she should speak with an attorney, and prepare to initiate a lawsuit against the government workers. The lawyer-client team can study the clues that are available, and check to see if the workers fixing the road’s surface or width were guilty of negligent behavior.

If the suing motorist has taken pictures or has spoken with witnesses, then that motorist’s lawyer has access to useful evidence. In other words, the injury lawyer in Inglewood and their client work as a team and would have a chance for winning their lawsuit. Because the government does not eliminate the existence of that chance, the government’s potential action regulates the nature of the workers’ actions.