Sheriff Koon's Column: Moving over isn’t a courtesy, it’s the law

Lexington, SC 07/23/2021 (Sheriff Jay Koon) - Every day on roads across Lexington County, law enforcement officers and other first responders put their lives at risk in order to help save lives and keep people safe.

Traffic-related incidents are the leading cause of death for on-duty law enforcement officers. We work in dangerous situations all the time, but drivers really increase that risk when they zoom by and ignore the flashing lights—and the law.

That’s right. Moving over when you see an emergency vehicle responding to an incident on the side of the road is required by law. Every state has enacted “Move Over” laws, requiring drivers to change lanes and/or slow down when they approach emergency vehicles stopped on the side of the road. It’s not an option or a courtesy, it’s the law.

These laws are not new—the first “Move Over” law originated right here in South Carolina in 1996 after a paramedic at a crash scene was struck by a vehicle and killed. In 2012, Hawaii became the 50th and final state to enact a “Move Over” law.

While a certain element of risk comes with the duties of first responders, I’m calling on you to join us in protecting those who put themselves in harm’s way every day to make our county a safer place to live.