The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will conduct a traffic safety campaign on roads, trails and waterways this August long weekend.
The main focus will be on the ‘Move Over Law’, which requires drivers to slow down and proceed with caution when passing an emergency vehicle parked on the side of a highway with lights activated. This includes ambulances, police vehicles and tow trucks.
If the highway has more than one lane, the law requires drivers to move over and leave one lane between their vehicle and the parked emergency vehicle if it is safe to do so.
“Traffic initiatives such as this demonstrate there is still a lot of work that needs to be done when it comes to high-risk behaviours that place officers, drivers, passengers and other road users at risk,” said Upper Ottawa Valley OPP Inspector Steph Neufeld.
Failure to comply with the law carries a $490 to $2,000 fine plus three demerit points upon conviction.
Subsequent offences carry a $1,000 to $4,000 fine, possible jail time of up to six months, and suspension of your driver’s licence for up to two years.
Officers will also be cracking down on what they call the ‘big four’: speeders, distracted drivers, impaired drivers and people who don’t wear their seat belts.
The safety campaign runs from Friday, Aug. 2 though Monday, Aug. 5.