Members of the Nanaimo RCMP providing drivers with information on their 'Slow Down and Move Over' campaign on Thursday, Oct. 21 at the Nanaimo Parkway/Northfield Rd. intersection (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW).

By Jordan Davidson

FLASHING LIGHTS

VIDEO: ‘Slow down and pullover:’ Nanaimo highway drivers reminded to clear the road for emergency vehicles

Oct 21, 2021 | 2:30 PM

NANAIMO — While slowing down and moving over for emergency vehicles with their lights on is common knowledge, the message evidently isn’t getting through to many mid island motorists.

Nanaimo RCMP staged a check stop on the Nanaimo Parkway at Northfield Rd. intersection on Thursday, Oct. 21, pulling dozens of offending motorists off the road.

Cst. Gary O’Brien said the Northfield Rd. intersection is a busy one and he estimated officers pull over 250-300 vehicles a year for not pulling over or slowing down for emergency vehicles, including tow trucks.

“That includes police, paramedics, conservation officers, bylaws. Any emergency vehicle with flashing lights. You have to slow down and pull over to the other lane,” O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW.

While those flagged for not slowing down were ushered into the rest stop and given a warning and information on the laws, police also used the opportunity to ticket some drivers.

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At one point officers struggled to find enough room for all the offending vehicles to safely pull over at the rest stop.

One motorist was clocked at 115 kilometres an hour and subsequently handed a speeding ticket.

The event is even more pertinent in the weeks following a road construction worker being hit and killed by an alleged drunk driver south of Nanaimo.

Workers from Mid Island Towing set up a mock emergency situation on the side of Nanaimo Parkway. Drivers who failed to ‘Slow Down and Move Over’ were pulled into the rest stop and provided with information slips about the dangers of not being aware of emergency vehicles on the side of the road. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW).

Mitch Schweitzer, director of operations for ASAP Traffic Specialists, said one roadside worker gets hit every six days in Canada.

In 2017, he was one of them.

“I was on the side of the highway putting out signs and doing traffic control and I had a driver come up pretty quick and struck the left side of me as I was trying to use my escape route and get out of the way. [I ended] up dislocating my knee and did some damage to my left arm as well.”

He said the driver did stop after striking him but after a brief argument fled the scene, which added an additional charge of hit-and-run as well as disobeying a flagger.

When speed limits are listed as 80 kilometres per hour or more, drivers must slow to at least 70 kilometres per hour when an emergency vehicle approaches and move to the side.

Speeds less than 80 kilometres per hour must be halved to a maximum of 40 kilometres per hour.

Penalties for not slowing down and moving over when you see an emergency vehicle include a $173 fine and 3 points off your license.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow