Colorado’s move over law requires drivers to move over one lane for just about any vehicle with flashing lights including first responders and tow trucks. But what happens to drivers when they don’t move over, creating a risky scenario for people standing on the highways? The company Brekford Traffic Safety has created a camera system that is mounted on emergency vehicles that will either warn or ticket drivers automatically when a driver doesn’t obey the move over law.
“Essentially it a combination of radar and high-resolution cameras that identify, capture and record and transmit move over violations,” said Rod Hillman, Brekford’s President and COO speaking on the Driving You Crazy podcast.
During a recent test with the state of Ohio, Brekford’s Argos Guardian camera system captured 545 violations during 14 hours of enforcement, an average of 0.7 violations per minute. Hillman said in other tests it seems that there are more drivers who will obey the move over law for police but not for tow trucks.
“In the studies we’ve done in a few different states, the totals have been about one per minute by police cruisers and about two per minute for tow operators,” Hillman said on the podcast.
Hillman says the technology can be automated to automatically mail out either warning letters or fine carrying citations to the registered drivers who violate the law. He acknowledges though that varying laws from state to state could make enforcement tricky. He says some states may want this technology to be a second set of eyes in case a first responder witnesses a violation and issues a citation, they have back up evidence to present in court.
To hear the entire interview with Rod Hillman as he addresses other legal concerns and the technology of the Argos Guardian move over camera system, listen to the Driving You Crazy podcast here.
