Law-enforcement officers; required to pull vehicle off roadway when stopping motorists. (HB1035)

Introduced By

Del. Jeff Frederick (R-Woodbridge)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Law-enforcement officers stopping vehicles. Requires that when law-enforcement officers pull over motorists, the law-enforcement officers, whenever practicable, pull their vehicles off the roadway before stopping. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/08/2008Committee
01/08/2008Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 080786508
01/08/2008Referred to Committee on Transportation
01/24/2008Referred from Transportation
01/24/2008Referred to Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety
02/12/2008Left in Militia, Police and Public Safety

Comments

Buddy writes:

No disrespect intended for the author of the bill, but it was clearly written by somebody who has no concept of the dynamics of a traffic stop. The officer decides when and where to activate his emergency lights; the violator decides when and where to stop.

Also, many times when you see an officer stopped behind a vehicle in an unusual location, there are several possible reasons for it:

Buddy writes:

1. Motorist out of gas
2. Vehicle is otherwise disabled
3. Motorist having non-mechanical emergency
4. Drunk driver

Marvin Marin writes:

This seems fairly sensible. It's more common sense than anything else. obviously a police officer knows that flashing lights and a siren on a marked cruiser won't stop someone from rear-ending him during a stop - so I would imagine most would move thier vehicles as much as possible anyway.