Questions on Drivers test sdmo

[Stubborn66]

We all hear about getting the message out about the SDMO laws and the fact that many drivers don't even know it is a law.

I had a thought the other day after watching traffic fly by me.  What is in the PA drivers license study manual about SDMO?  Here is what I found:

 

MOVE OVER LAW:

The Move Over law, requires motorists to move into a lane that is not adjacent to an emergency response area and or disabled vehicle. An emergency response area is an area on or near a road where services are being provided by police, sheriffs, coroners, medical examiners, firefighters, fire police, fire marshals, rescue personnel, emergency medical service personnel, towing and recovery personnel, hazardous material response team members and/or highway construction and maintenance personnel. A disabled vehicle is a vehicle in a traffic lane or on the side of a traffic lane that is clearly marked with at least two signal lamps, road flares, caution signs and/or any other traffic control device. If drivers cannot move over because of traffic or other conditions, they must reduce their speed to at least 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit. In cases where law enforcement may not be present, the law allows road workers and emergency responders to report violations by motorists. Law enforcement may issue citations based on these reports. Failure to move over or slow down can result in a summary offense that carries a fine of up to $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense and $2,000 for a third and subsequent offense. In addition, fines will be doubled for traffic violations occurring in work zone areas. Any person convicted of a violation of this law will have 2 points assessed to their driving record. If the violation of this law leads to the serious bodily injury or to death of another person, a 90-day license suspension will be imposed and a fine of up to $1,000 could result. If the violation of this law leads to the serious bodily injury of an emergency responder or a person in or near a disabled vehicle, a 6-month license suspension will be imposed and a fine of up to $5,000 could result. If the violation of this law leads to the death of an emergency responder or a person in or near a disabled vehicle, a 1-year suspension will be imposed and a fine of up to $10,000 could result.

 

I was surprised that there was this much in the manual, and I did not know that I could report violators.

 

The other thought I had was, is there a question on the test regarding SDMO? 

 

IMHO I think there should be, and I also think that it should be a mandatory failure if that question is missed.  Not that I am out to fail a bunch of kids trying to get their license, but to drive home the importance.  If it were a mandatory failure, within the first few months every kid on social media would be talking about it, every parent whose kid failed because they missed that question would be talking about it.  End result, the point gets driven home.

 

Our state associations could help us out and lobby for stuff like this.

 

 

[Stubborn66]

A customer of mine stopped in today, he happens to be a state cop.  I mentioned to him that I read that we could report drivers who don't slow down and move over.  He told me that the caveat to that is that you have to have a description of the vehicle as well as the license plate number and be willing to go to court.

He also works a stretch of I80 here in PA and knows what we go through all too well.