'Our bodies shake': RCMP officer urges drivers to move over for stopped vehicles

RCMP Cpl. Scott MacRae says every officer who's done a traffic stop has a near-miss story about a vehicle speeding by and narrowly missing them.

Nova Scotia law states that when an emergency vehicle is on the side of a roadway with its flashing lights on, passing drivers must slow down and move over where possible.

If there's just one lane in your direction, you must slow down to 60 km/h or remain at the posted speed limit, whichever is less. If there are two lanes or more, drivers should slow to the same speed restrictions and also move to the lane furthest away if it's safe to do so.

"When that car [is] going 100, 110 kilometres an hour, or even slower, it's a big piece of machinery and it can be quite unnerving," MacRae told CBC's Information Morning.

19 charges

In January, 19 drivers in the Halifax district were charged with failing to move over, but MacRae suspects the number of incidents is actually higher.

The consequence of not moving over can be deadly. Last September, a Nova Scotia Mountie was killed in New Brunswick after he was hit by a passing vehicle. He had stopped to help the occupants of a stranded SUV fix a flat tire.

"Many of us have done the same thing, helping a motorist on the side of the road, and you just never know if that's going to be the day where something bad happens," said MacRae.

Near misses are unsettling not only for police officers but also for the drivers of vehicles they have pulled over.

"They even get scared because they feel the wind and they can even see our bodies shake and move from the winds, especially the larger trucks," said MacRae.

He said he's not entirely sure why some people don't respect the law and suggests it could be ignorance or inattention.

While the move-over law is for emergency personnel, MacRae urges people to take the same approach for vehicles that are pulled over.

"Give them that space," he said.