Adopted at the 121st Annual Conference

Orlando, Florida

October 21, 2014

Support for the National Move Over Initiative

Submitted by: Highway Safety Committee

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WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs' Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police are concerned with the safety of law enforcement officers, firefighters, utility workers, and other emergency personnel as they perform their duties on our nation's roadways; and

WHEREAS, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 1,715 law enforcement officers—17 percent—in the United States between 1987 and 2011 were victims of struck-by-vehicle incidents, i.e., at the time of their deaths they were conducting traffic stops or roadblocks, were directing traffic or assisting motorists, or were engaged in similar activities; and

WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs' Association was a founding member of the Move Over America initiative of 2007, working to save first responder lives, initiate or change state laws, and raise awareness of Move Over responsibilities of the motoring public; and

WHEREAS, in an effort to safeguard law enforcement officers, firefighters, utility workers, and other emergency personnel whose duties require them to utilize the roadside, all 50 states have enacted Move Over legislation that typically requires motorists to either change lanes or slow down when approaching a law enforcement or emergency services vehicle that is parked or stopped on the roadside; and

WHEREAS, the effectiveness of this legislation in every state is compromised by motorists' being unaware of the existence of these statutes, as is demonstrated by a national poll sponsored by the National Safety Commission, in 2007, that found that 71 percent of U.S. residents had not heard of such legislation; and

WHEREAS, the #MoveOver campaign reached more 29 million Twitter streams and initiated similar posts and videos on other social media sites including Facebook and YouTube from May 13 to May 20, 2014; and

RESOLVED, that the National Sheriffs' Association and the International Chiefs of Police support the increased enforcement of Move Over legislation; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Sheriffs' Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police support international efforts to ensure the roadside safety of law enforcement officers, firefighters, utility workers, and other emergency personnel in countries around the world.