An Ocala woman nearly struck a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy during a traffic stop recently. This latest incident serves as a reminder of Florida’s Move Over Law (316.126). Davidson was charged with DUI, after nearly hitting a deputy with her car around 11 p.m., Friday, June 4, 2010 along Highway 441, Ocala.
In the video of the initial traffic stop, you can see the deputy completing a traffic stop when Davidson veered of the road, just missing the deputy by a few feet. Davidson was eventually pulled over. She failed a field sobriety test and was arrested.
The deputy was not injured.
Here’s a breakdown of Florida’s Move Over Law:
• On a two-lane roadway, you are required to slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit.
• If the speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less, you must slow down to five miles per hour.
• If you are driving on an interstate or roadway with multiple lanes of travel in the same direction, and you approach an emergency or law enforcement vehicle parked along the roadway, you must vacate the lane closest to that vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you are not able to safely move over, you must slow down to a speed of 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit unless directed otherwise by a law enforcement officer.
• Violating the move over law puts both yourself and a public safety professional at risk.
• Violating the move over law can result in a fine and points on your license.