A California Department of Transportation publication summarizes the amended statute as follows:
The new law, introduced as Senate Bill 240 by Senator Roderick Wright, District 25 (Inglewood), takes effect on January 1, 2010. At that time, motorists will have to slow down and, if safe, move over to a lane not immediately adjacent to the stationary vehicle. The law does not apply when the vehicle with flashing warning lights is not adjacent to the freeway or is separated from the freeway by a protective physical barrier. Current law requires motorists to only yield to law enforcement, emergency responders or tow truck operators who are working on the roadside.
Contrary to what is claimed in the above email, the penalty for failure to comply isn't $754. California law specifies a fine of not more than $50 per violation. Even if additional local penalties are applied the total fine isn't likely to reach $754 for a single offense.
It is state by state, not national. However legislators and lobbyist go to national “screw the public” conventions to find new and exciting ways to tax errrr penalize drivers.
It is common curtesy to pull into the next lane for ANYBODY on the shoulder to give them room, avoid throwing rocks into them with your tires. The thing about these laws that make me see RED is that the law operates under the premise that gubment employees are more important than the rest of us.
I give room to everybody. But gubment cheese swilling Union thugs get no special consideration from me.
simply adds an additional category to the list of covered responders (Caltrans vehicles with flashing amber warning lights) and makes the law permanent.
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Caltrans = California’s state religion. They hold services most often at night.