Find out how to receive digital alerts of approaching emergency vehicles.
West Jackson Fire Department uses digital alerts to notify drivers who are approaching active emergency vehicles. By heeding these warnings to “move over,” you can keep first responders safe, expedite our life-saving work, and save yourself a costly fine.
The HAAS Safety Cloud software uses the free Waze and Apple Maps apps, and it comes pre-installed on many new-model vehicles. When a motorist is in the vicinity of an emergency, the system sends a notification.
“The Safety Cloud is an extra layer of protection for our firefighters and other nearby responders,” Chief Ben Stephens said. “It gives drivers additional time to respond to lights and sirens, and that makes it safer for everyone.”
Moving over is more than just a safe practice—it’s the law. All 50 states have a “Move Over Law” requiring drivers to allow clearance for stopped emergency vehicles. In Georgia, the law requires drivers to
Move to the lane furthest from the emergency vehicle (which includes fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, tow trucks, highway maintenance or construction vehicle, and utility service vehicles stopped on the roadside with lights flashing).
If it is not possible or safe to move over, slow down below the posted speed limit, and be prepared to stop at a moment’s notice.
The fine for violating Georgia’s Move Over Law can be up to $500, according to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety as of 2024. If the violation leads to injuries or fatalities, the driver could face criminal charges.
Though the Move Over Law was enacted over 20 years ago, WJFD Chief Ben Stephens said motorists routinely blow past emergency vehicles.
“I understand that everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere important. But there is nothing more important than a human life, and that is what you’re risking when you don’t slow down—your own life, and someone else’s,” Stephens said.
LEARN MORE
Click here to learn more about Georgia’s Move Over Law.
Click here to learn more about the HAAS Safety Cloud.
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