Topic: Dailies

New Laws For The Road – published Mesa Tribune

 10/19/06

by

Leo Crocker Rogers

The revitalization of the "move over law" where high speed vehicles are to move one lane to the left when they see a patrol car with its lights flashing parked at the side of a freeway, is suggested to be common sense. In fact, it causes immediate danger to those to the left of the speeding vehicle trying to give room to the officer who has parked his car on the freeway. Would it not be more common sense for a patrol officer to use his flashing lights and loudspeakers to escort the offending driver and car off the freeway at the next exit? It seems counter safe for a patrol officer to pull over a vehicle and have it park on the freeway that is jammed with five full lanes of traffic, millions of pounds of steel speeding by only a few feet away. Such a policy is an accident waiting to happen again and again. (Watch the t.v. videos of officers being struck by cars for just this type of policy.) I wonder if the spouses of officers that have been killed by freeway drivers drifting just a bit to the right and plowing into and killing officers on the freeways should consider an alternate to the "move over law" and press for a law that precludes stopping on freeways by anyone, except for emergencies? We, as citizens need to protect those officers that protect us. Officers should not be placed in a position of imminent danger in an attempt to bring compliance with law when compliance can be achieved without such danger. The entire concept of a "freeway" is to be free from, not impeded by stopped vehicles. In short, the officer should escort the vehicle off the freeway at the next off ramp and pull over where it is safer for all. This would be called "Rogers Law 1" = Never stop on a freeway except for an emergency." This will save officers from danger, even death, and citizens also.

While we are on the subject of highway safety, there is an even more salient point that should be raised. When an accident occurs on a freeway, it is different than the same accident occurring on a city street. On the freeway, thousands of cars are effected, sometimes ten of thousands of cars and their passengers. When an accident happens on US 60 or I17, the freeway can be backed up for miles. As a result, cars run out of gasoline, children in non-air-conditioned cars are exposed to excess heat stress in the summer, cars over heat, and people get very upset. None of this is good for our mental health, our physical health, nor for the environment as a mile or five miles of cars sit and idle fumes into the air not only to pollute the atmosphere in general but especially those sitting in the fumes.

The solution is simple. If there is a fatality, more care is needed, but in general: "Rogers Law 2"

These are not new ideas. They are ideas whose time has come and our legislators should promptly address these issues. Pass "Rogers Laws 1 and 2".