Charleston County Emergency Sees Uptick of Drivers Refusing to Pull Over During Crisis Event

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)–When you hear or see emergency vehicles approaching behind you on the roadway, you would typically pull off to the side, allowing them to proceed to the scene. Still, in some cases, especially here in the Lowcountry, more drivers are refusing to pull over.

Emergency responders and law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the people in the community, and officials remind you to move over when you see flashing lights or hear sirens because every second counts.

Officials said many nationwide are unaware of this due to distracted drivers, and they are working to fix that.

“A lot of times, even if they are paying attention to the radio being on at a reasonable level, they might not hear us until we are directly behind them, and it’s also part of driving and into regard. It’s on responders to understand that and always try to drive safety,” said Randy Shirar, A deputy chief with Charleston County EMS.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the moveover law is enacted in all 50 states. However, 70% of drivers nationwide do not know the requirement to slow down or change lanes when emergency vehicles are flashing lights.

First responders said they typically have issues with people not pulling over in areas like I26, Rivers Avenue, and Dorchester Road, which is impacting their response times.

“When people do not abide by the rules and pull over and move to the right, it increases our response time, which increases our ability to get to people in need and loved ones,” said Nathaniel Bialek, The Deputy Chief of Professional Development Safety for Charleston County.

Officials said the fine for not pulling over for an ambulance or any other emergency service vehicle is up to $500.

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