Myrtle Beach Police and other law enforcement agencies in the area want you to move over for emergency vehicles.
This week, they’re focusing on stopping drivers who don’t obey the law, but also educating them.
24 collisions happened in Horry County alone between 2015 and 2018 because people did not follow the law. One of those crashes recently injured one of Myrtle Beach Police Department’s own.
“It was probably late at night, he was investigating a collision, and he was out there talking to the person, and next thing he knew, his car got hit by another person, a drunk driver, in turn, he got hit, he got injured, he’s got some rods and pins in his ankle,” said Myrtle Beach Corporal Joe West. “So, he’ll have that for the rest of his life.”
Then Attorney General Henry McMaster declared a traffic stop as an emergency scene in 2007. That means any vehicle with flashing red, red and white, blue, red and blue, or amber or yellow lights.
“A person driving a vehicle approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle and that’s including tow trucks, fire trucks, EMS, you need to either attempt to change lanes to a non-adjacent lane or slow down,” said Myrtle Beach Police Pfc. Jerry Camacho.
For the officers, it’s about keeping safe.
“I think they have that responsibility to return that favor when we’re on the side of the road and conducting a traffic stop or investigating a motor vehicle collision,” said Camacho. “I think they have responsibility to return that favor and make sure that they’re keeping us safe as well.”
Camacho helped initiate the process for the Department to get move over signs on the Highway 17 Bypass at the end of last year.
The signs were installed three weeks ago, and Corporal West says they plan to put more on Highway 501.
North Carolina has a similar “Move Over” law.