Laws around passing emergency vehicles to change March 1. UPDATE: Delayed to Sept 1

[Cecil Terwilliger]

The updated legislation extends safe passing protections for roadside workers to include snowplows and highway maintenance vehicles, in addition to emergency vehicles and tow trucks.

When such vehicles are stopped with their flashing lights operating, motorists are required to:

• Slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower, in all lanes travelling in the same direction on multi-lane highways; and

• Slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower, when travelling in either direction on single lane highways.

https://amta.ca/traffic-safety-act-c...oming-march-1/

Currently only vehicles in the adjacent lane need to slow down.


Delayed. See post #22.

[powderjunkie]

Sensible move. The speed differential and some left-laners refusing to slow even a little bit (or tailgate you if you have the audacity to ease off) was always a recipe for disaster.

[photon]

Thanks, I didn't know that was changing and that's a pretty big change!

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Sensible move. The speed differential and some left-laners refusing to slow even a little bit (or tailgate you if you have the audacity to ease off) was always a recipe for disaster.

It seemed odd that we ever had the adjacent lane rule. Cars flying by at 90-100 on crowchild in the middle lane and the right name doing 60. Crazy dangerous.

[lazypucker]

nm

[Redliner]

Thanks for posting that. I had no idea and probably would have gotten a ticket at some point. Change makes perfect sense though - believe it is already like that in many (most?) other provinces.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

It seemed odd that we ever had the adjacent lane rule. Cars flying by at 90-100 on crowchild in the middle lane and the right name doing 60. Crazy dangerous.

Hell, if you were in the right lane you might pay more attention to trying to change lanes/shoulder checking than the incident in the shoulder.

[blankall]

Snowplows are such wide vehicles and kick up so much snow, do people really need to be told to slow when passing them?

[chummer]

Good, as a firefighter I'd always say I'd rather go into a housefire than a call on Deerfoot.

A step in the right direction.

[Mathgod]

Really should have been the rule all along.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by chummer

Good, as a firefighter I'd always say I'd rather go into a housefire than a call on Deerfoot.

A step in the right direction.

Yup, Deerfoot calls are the worst

Followed by Metis Trail in my opinion. People are just not watching at all on that stupid road

[jayswin]

See this is a great CP thread, amongst a lot of junk in recent months. This is something local (which we have very little of), something that I would have missed, and could have easily been dinged for.

Thanks

[bigrangy]

Honestly thought this was the rule already and was always surprised when I passed through the city and people were still flying past emergency vehicles like they have been.

Makes sense.

[Fuzz]

Looking forward to the first few times I slow to 60 and some meathead in a lifted pickup comes flying up, honking and flashing high beams.

[Doctorfever]

Weird. I thought this was already the law. I always slow down to 60. I think lots of people do.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

Weird. I thought this was already the law. I always slow down to 60. I think lots of people do.

Current law is 60 only in the lane immediately adjacent to the emergency vehicle, though I think most other provinces match this new version, so consistency will be nice.

[agulati]

Much needed law

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Current law is 60 only in the lane immediately adjacent to the emergency vehicle, though I think most other provinces match this new version, so consistency will be nice.

Didn’t they change it to 60 in all lanes a few years ago?

This one I think just adds snow plows that are parked and maintenance vehicles.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by GGG

Didn’t they change it to 60 in all lanes a few years ago?

This one I think just adds snow plows that are parked and maintenance vehicles.

I don't think so:

Current rules require motorists to slow down to 60 km/h, or the speed limit, whichever is lower, in the adjacent lane when passing an emergency vehicle or tow truck with its flashing lights activated.

https://dailyhive.com/calgary/changes-drivers-alberta

[Firebot]

I didn't realize it was a rule not yet implemented (considering it is in most other provinces and assumed it was here as well). I've always slowed down regardless.