New Texas Driving law

[AJT]

Come to find out, this is a new state law as of September 1, 2003.
> From the TX DPS website, the law reads:
>
SB 193 requires drivers nearing a stopped emergency vehicle that has
lights activated, unless otherwise directed by a law enforcement
officer, to:

* Vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicle, if the highway has
two or more lanes traveling the direction of the emergency vehicle; or

* Slow to a speed not more than 20 miles per hour (mph) less than the
posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is 25 mph or more; or

* Slow to a speed not more than five mph when the posted speed limit
is less than 25 mph.
>
* A violation is punishable by a maximum fine of $200. If the
violation results in property damage, the maximum fine increases to
$500. If the violation results in bodily injury, the offense is
enhanced to a Class B misdemeanor.
>
One of my employees got a ticket for this last week, Watch out!

Andy

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

The same law was passed in FL. Apparently a grand total of five officers were killed during highway stops over the span of eight years and they felt it was some sort of epidemic that needed fixing. Hell, more Floridians die from lightning strikes EVERY year than all the cops did during that eight year span.

Knee-**** reaction "write a law."

 

[Ulysses]

I don't see how a law like this is going to help. Most likely, the people who kill the officers are a) Not paying attention b) Old and can't drive c) Drunk off their behinds.

Slowing them down isn't going to change things IF they even slow down at all. They'll still kill you, it'll just take them longer to get over there and squish you. Hell, if they're one of the three, they won't even comply and STILL squish you going fast. The only people this will affect are the ones that can drive safely at speed and avoid hitting you.

 

[Big Medicine]

We have this in Indiana; it causes some real train wrecks during rush hour on the freeways when all the sheep try to stop & merge into the other lanes.

Cops should be issued tickets for causing such traffic hazards.

I deliberately disobey this law when traffic is present. If they want to stop on the freeway when it's busy & write a speeding summons, let them deal with the draft. They should know better.

 

[JDR]

I got pulled over once for doing just that - providing a SAFE DISTANCE... the officer said it looked suspicious to distance myself from the police, as though I was trying to "hide" something.

No ticket... just nothing better to do than check EVERY car on the road at 1am, I guess

 

[Vreracing]

I'm not sure how accurate the email was but I got an email from someone saying the police had a "Sting" type operation on the Southwest Freeway near Gessner. I guess your employee was one of them.

 

[RX VIPER]

Hey Goose.. up here in Missouri it's still ok to 'buzz the tower'. Maverick.

 

[AJT]

Just another reason to pull you over. I still can't get over the no license plate bracket law! Now that is a reason to pull over almost every car on the road..

Andy

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

* Vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicle, if the highway has
two or more lanes traveling the direction of the emergency vehicle; or

Oh yeah, and that's real bright. Change lanes. Uh huh. Improper lane changes are the leading cause of highway accidents, although cops and insurance companies would say otherwise. People screw up changing lanes when traffic flow is steady, now they want them to negotiate a safe lane change while slowing 20mph below the limit, with a cop sitting in the emergency lane and traffic blowing past them on the opposite side?