Incident Date

Police laid 61 charges following a day-long enforcement blitz targeting violators of Ontario’s Move Over laws.

The enforcement blitz took place on Tuesday April 6 and focused on drivers failing to slow down and proceed with caution for emergency vehicles and tow trucks.

Of the 61 provincial offence notices handed out, 14 were directly connected to motorists failing to comply with the province’s move over law. This violation is contrary to subsection 159(2) of the Highway Traffic Act, and comes with a fine of $490 and three demerit points upon conviction.

Motorists are reminded that when approaching an emergency vehicle or tow truck with emergency lights activated, drivers must slow down and proceed with caution.

Where there are two lanes of traffic, if an emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped, drivers must slow down, proceed with caution and move to the outside lane if the movement can be made in safety.

Drivers who fail to comply may face a Provincial Offence Notice for “fail to slow down and proceed with caution for emergency vehicle.”

The Thunder Bay Police Service would like to thank all motorists who continue to drive safely and obey all traffic laws.

Please see appropriate section of the Highway Traffic Act below:

Approaching, following emergency vehicles
Stop on approach of vehicle with flashing lights or bell or siren sounding

159 (1) The driver of a vehicle, upon the approach of a police department vehicle with its bell or siren sounding or with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light or red and blue light, or upon the approach of an ambulance, fire department vehicle or public utility emergency vehicle with its bell or siren sounding or its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light, shall immediately bring such vehicle to a standstill,

(a) as near as is practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway and parallel therewith and clear of any intersection;
or
(b) when on a roadway having more than two lanes for traffic and designated for the use of one-way traffic, as near as is practicable to the nearest curb or edge of the roadway and parallel therewith and clear of any intersection. 2009, c. 5, s. 49.

Slow down on approaching stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck

(2) Upon approaching an emergency vehicle with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light or red and blue light or a tow truck with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of amber light that is stopped on a highway, the driver of a vehicle travelling on the same side of the highway shall slow down and proceed with caution, having due regard for traffic on and the conditions of the highway and the weather, to ensure that the driver does not collide with the emergency vehicle or tow truck or endanger any person outside of the emergency vehicle or tow truck. 2015, c. 14, s. 47.

Same
(3) Upon approaching an emergency vehicle with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light or red and blue light or a tow truck with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of amber light that is stopped on a highway with two or more lanes of traffic on the same side of the highway as the side on which the emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped, the driver of a vehicle travelling in the same lane that the emergency vehicle or tow truck is stopped in or in a lane that is adjacent to the emergency vehicle or tow truck, in addition to slowing down and proceeding with caution as required by subsection (2), shall move into another lane if the movement can be made safely. 2015, c. 14, s. 47.

 

Location
Thunder Bay