MARYSVILLE — It happens all the time.
Just spend an hour hanging out with Washington State Patrol troopers along the shoulders of I-5 near Marysville. Inch out of the passenger side during a traffic stop.
The real estate between the far right lane and shoulder seems scant as cars, vans, pickups, box trucks and semis zip by at more than 60 mph.
Under Washington’s Move Over law, the flashing lights from patrol cars are supposed to be a message for other drivers to find another lane or, at the very least, slow down.
Few do.
Last week, troopers across the state warned or ticketed nearly 250 drivers for violating the law. It was part of a three-day campaign to bring attention to the Move Over law.
Those traffic stops were a tiny fraction of the actual violators.
When Trooper Mark Francis pulled over an Acura that failed to change lanes or slow down on a stretch of I-5 near Marysville, it took him five minutes to retrieve the driver’s license and vehicle registration and print out a ticket.
During that time, more than 40 other cars and trucks zoomed past in the same far right lane without slowing down or changing lanes. Only six drivers switched lanes.
“It seems like it is non-stop,” Francis said.
The 42-year-old Bothell woman driving the Acura told Francis she didn’t know there was such a law.
That’s a big part of the problem, Francis said. People often don’t consider the dangers, he said. The law is aimed at preventing injuries and saving lives.
During a seven-year period ending in 2014, 212 State Patrol vehicles were struck during traffic stops or while troopers were providing assistance to stranded drivers. Three troopers were injured. There also were injuries to people inside the patrol cars.
It isn’t just troopers and police the law seeks to protect, Francis said. It extends to tow trucks, road crews, medics, emergency workers and others using flashing lights on the side of the road.
The fine is $214.00 and it doubles if someone is speeding through an emergency zone, said State Patrol Sgt. Paul Cagle. Last year, troopers stopped more than 4,000 violators of the Move Over law.
“It takes time,” Cagle said. “It takes more than a year or two. The reason we do something like this is it’s a safety issue.”
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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