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Old 05-22-2014, 03:48 AM   #1
Richardlord
 
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STATE “PULL OVER” LAWS AND YOUR C7

STATE “PULL OVER” LAWS AND YOUR C7

Given that your C7 shall attract extra attention, I for one shall do my homework on various state laws before traveling, or travailing, out of state. One law that most states have now adapted is the “pull over” law, but I have found many drivers are unaware of it, and for some people I know, has resulted in tickets with at least 2 points.

The “pull over” law is that on a road with at least two lanes traveling in the same direction, when encountering an emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road with lights flashing, you must reduce speed and “pull over” into the farthest lane from that vehicle. I normally do this as it makes common sense, and having worked in law enforcement with the knowledge of tragedies of traffic stops gone wrong, I am always cognizant of officer safety. Still, from what I see on the road, most drivers don’t follow that law I assume from ignorance of the law.

Even though I am aware of the “pull over” law, last summer I got stopped by a state trooper for violating the law in North Carolina going from Virginia to the Outer Banks in NC. Keep in mind on this stretch of road getting pulled over is euphemistically referred to as the “Outer Banks Tourist Tax,” and you get the meaning. This stretch of road also is very bad as it has almost no shoulder, and is very dangerous for troopers, which they should complain about or be very careful where they pull someone over, and certainly not on a bend in the road.

One problem with the law is in interpretation/application. In North Carolina, you must “pull over” if you feel it is safe to do so. As I was hauling a utility trailer with my Dodge Magnum RT Hemi AWD w/tow package going the speed limit, I did not feel it was safe to “pull over” with cars passing me when I suddenly encountered a state trooper on the side of the road with lights flashing as I was rounding a bend in the road going about 50mph. What I did was slow down, I was prepared to stop, and pulled over as much into the next lane as possible with cars whizzing past me. I did what I felt was the right and safe thing to do, but the very young state trooper saw it differently, and so I got a ticket. Two cars trying to speed past me were amazed the trooper pulled me over and not them when we all pulled over and he let them go. I was tempted to chastise the trooper for stopping a car just around a bend in the road and not stop it farther down the road on a strait away for safety sake where I was not surprised into making a split second decision to take a safe action, but thought better of it. Even “law enforcement courtesy” could not help me, and with Maryland plates, we both knew I was not coming back to personally fight the ticket. He even stopped me over the NC State line in Virginia. But, I hired a NC law firm, got a law enforcement discount (for state failure to observe law enforcement courtesy), and it was able to reduce the ticket from a 2 point moving violation to a no point “Improper Equipment” violation – go figure. The whole fiasco thing cost me about what the "Move Over" violation ticket would have cost, which is very expensive, but no driving points and no insurance points, that would have been even more costly, especially in getting my C7. Got to know and use the system.

So, know this law when you travel in your C7 as in a line of cars violating the law, you likely will be the one pulled over.

Be safe out there - for you - and officers on the side of the road.

Last edited by Richardlord; 05-22-2014 at 01:16 PM.
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Old 05-22-2014, 10:15 AM   #2
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Rich, you're a bad boy.

Iowa is a "Slow Down, Pull Over" state. Even before the law was officially enacted, I ALWAYS slowed down and pulled over. My parents taught me that.

It only makes sense IMO.

Troopers, other LEO's, and emergency workers are out there making our roads safer so motorists should show them some love and slow down and pull over.
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Old 05-22-2014, 01:38 PM   #3
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Same here in MA. It's just common sense which isn't all that common. Stay safe.
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Old 05-22-2014, 04:44 PM   #4
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Yep, it's the law here in Florida too. There are also a LOT of idiots that just fly on by, even when the 20 cars in front of them all of a sudden move into the left lane. Really? Too stupid to realize they all know something you've chosen to ignore from your drivers handbook?
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Old 05-22-2014, 06:53 PM   #5
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I'm sure Lord wont like my reply, but....first of all when the lights turn on and the driver is not paying attention- could the trooper have tried to stop that guy a mile back EVEN before the curve- YES, If you follow at a proper distance- nothing should surprise you (I really feel like if you are truly in Law Enforcement- can you not see a car with lights on- At 60 mph you should have been 6 car lengths back)- so 90 plus feet- at 60 mph you are travelling at 88.6 ft per sec....I said all that to say this....you weren't driving your C7 but you come off with the "trooper will for sure get the C-7"....WHY THAT COMMENT- no he got the guy with the wide trailer that almost clipped him probably........there is no doubt in my mind I have more time on that shoulder than you do.......having seen citizens get clipped or killed while changing tires, even had a kid hit in the head looking in his hood when a old Pk Trk with big mirrors hit him in the head-killing him.........BTW...knowing NC Hwy Patrol Troopers, as I do....I think that "I was tempted to chastise the trooper for stopping a car " would have worked real good! Press HARD 5 copies! I like that law and think everyone should really pay attention to the officers that have to worry about the guy in front of them (being armed or trying to hurt them) not having to watch their backs- .......off my soapbox
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Old 05-22-2014, 10:25 PM   #6
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My point was that it is a good law, too many are unaware, and all should be cognizant. I see all too many cars not following the law, and a C7 should not be one of them. That said, there are problems in the application of the law as in the NC case.

NC law like other states says to slow down and move over only if it is safe to do so. In this situation, as I was towing a trailer, and with cars passing me, I complied as best I could. The judgment call is primarily on the driver and does not rest solely with the officer.

Also in this case, the road is bad (no shoulder) with sharp turns and generally very poor visibility. That is why I was going under the speed limit. Perhaps the officer did his best in stopping that car where he did, but he put himself at more risk than had he stopped the car just a bit further up the road from the bend. Officers should be stopping cars at safer places on that stretch of road, but then, that stretch of road is notorious as a speed trap area.
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Old 05-23-2014, 04:01 AM   #7
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I will say that this law is new to me, having lived on the West Coast all my life. As I drove east in my move to North Carolina, I started seeing signs for this mostly in the eastern 3rd of the country. In the past, when I saw lights, I'd slow down and be cautious as I passed them...even pulling as far to the left in my current lane or even partway into the other lane if there was no traffic. Lots of other people never even slow down.

I pull over when I can now, however there are situations where traffic is stacked up in the left lane and you just can't get over. Haven't been ticketed for it ever, though.
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Old 05-23-2014, 05:01 AM   #8
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This is the NC Pull over law - See F - Maryland and other area states have similar laws - A good law - However, the application of the law has been somewhat controversial in NC as one may read via a Google search - The NC law firm that handled my case and got it changed to a non moving no point violation, charged me a flat fee up front with the total cost about equal to what the "Move Over" ticket would have cost - The "Move Over" ticket was $250 and there was a $250 court cost fee that is non refundable even if you win your case - I asked the law firm how it could charge me a flat fee of $500 up front when it had not yet gone to court and did not yet know the outcome of the case - What if the court upheld the $500 fine and fee? - The law firm would have put in time on my behalf with no compensation - The reply indicated this is SOP and the law firm was certain of the outcome as a forgone conclusion - So the actual non moving violation fine was $50, the court cost was $250, and the law firm made $200 - The law firm was handling a number of such cases that day, and at $200 a pop profit, it did quite well as did the court - Actually, the law firm gave me a law enforcement discount of half price, so in other cases it makes $400 a pop - Still, better than 2 points on your driving record with increased insurance cost.

In my situation, I saw the cruiser on the side of the road just as I was rounding a curve in the road - For the safety sake of the officer and motorists, the cruiser should not have stopped there as it was the most dangerous place on that stretch of road it could be - The officer probably could have Shepard the motorist and stopped it a bit further up the road - I had seconds to react - I immediately slowed down and looked in my mirrors - I saw cars approaching me to pass - Hauling a trailer, I dared not just dart over into the other lane - I moved over as far into my lane as I could and even partly into the other lane - The law left it to me to determine what was the safe thing for me to do, and I did so - Turned out to be easy money for the court some of which goes to law enforcement.

http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislat...GS_20-157.html

Last edited by Richardlord; 05-23-2014 at 11:58 AM.
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Old 05-23-2014, 09:09 AM   #9
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Most of the west coast states had it for at least 5-7 years.....here is a link to help everyone on what the fines are and has other helpful info

http://www.moveoveramerica.com/
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Old 05-23-2014, 11:45 AM   #10
Richardlord
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by asptroopa1 View Post
Most of the west coast states had it for at least 5-7 years.....here is a link to help everyone on what the fines are and has other helpful info

http://www.moveoveramerica.com/
That is a very helpful link - Good to have this discussion - I trust this has advanced us on this forum to more safely drive our C7s and keep out of trouble - Thanks ASTROOPA1 for your insight.

Last edited by Richardlord; 05-23-2014 at 01:30 PM.
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Old 05-24-2014, 01:56 AM   #11
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Old 05-24-2014, 04:30 AM   #12
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You say law enforcement courtesy. Are you an officer? If you are, said you are and explained why you didn't merge over, it's really sad you still got a ticket. I'm not surprised given my experiences with NC highway patrol. I'm not a fan. I think they take out their low salaries on everyone else.
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Old 05-25-2014, 04:12 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Richardlord View Post
STATE “PULL OVER” LAWS AND YOUR C7

.

, you must reduce speed and “pull over” into the farthest lane from that vehicle.
Texas signs say "Move over OR slow down"
From what I'm reading on other states it should read AND.
Whatchy'all think?
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Old 05-25-2014, 11:57 PM   #14
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Never knew it was a law, I just thought it was common sense haha. Thanks for the information Richard and asptroopa. I will be extra careful for now on in all of my vehicles.
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