Are you familiar with the Move Over Law in Ontario? Even though Ontario was one of the first provinces to implement these traffic laws, it seems as though most drivers are not because they are increasingly getting tickets for failing to move over for emergency vehicles.
This is perhaps due to the expansion of the scope of the move over law in 2015 to include more than simply moving over to the side of the road for police, firetrucks, and ambulances when they approach.
This blog post provides a move over law definition, discusses the rise in violations, fines and penalties, and provides some tips to help you abide by the Ontario move over law.
What Is The Move Over Law In Ontario?
Emergency vehicles traffic laws have now been expanded to include stopped emergency vehicles. The law states that if you see an emergency vehicle or a tow truck with its lights flashing that is stopped on your side of the road, you must :
Slow down : Slow down to less than the posted speed limit.
Pass with caution : Proceed with caution.
Move over : If the road has two or more lanes, you must move over and provide a lane of space between your vehicle and the emergency vehicle.