Colorado Drivers Not Moving For Emergency Responders: Report

COLORADO -- A Colorado law named after a Colorado Patrol Trooper who died doesn't seem to have much effect on drivers, a newspaper reported. The "Move Over For Cody Act" increase penalties for drivers who failed to give the right of way to emergency vehicles, but The Gazatte reported an increase in citations who failed to follow the follow.

The law, which was named after Colorado State Trooper Cody Donahue who died last year, has been in effect since September. Since then, "352 drivers in the state were caught improperly passing in the last three months, records show," according to The Gazette.

"Through Nov. 20, this year, troopers ticketed 2,269 drivers who failed to move into another lane when passing stationary emergency vehicles with lights flashing, as the law mandates. That's more than 2015 and 2016 citations combined," the newspaper reported.

A Colorado Springs officer named JR Benavides saw first-hand what it was like to have a car pass him up while on duty.

"It was 5 a.m. and Benavides was preparing to pull into one of his usual spots to watch for speeders," the newspaper wrote. "He flipped on his emergency lights to warn drivers behind him that he was slowing and pulling over on I-25 southbound, near the Academy Boulevard exit. His lights flashed brighter in the dark of the morning but they didn't seem to faze the driver behind him as the car quickly gained ground and whizzed past just as Benavides exited the roadway."

"There goes one right there," Benavides told the newspaper.

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