Dive Brief:
- Waste Management collaborated with the Walton County’s Sheriff’s Office to bring attention to the Move Over Act, a law intended to protect sanitation workers, that went into effect in Florida on July 1.
- Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law House Bill 7005 which gives sanitation workers the same safety protections as police, firefighters and paramedics when vehicles are on the road.
- The primary cause of death for waste and recycling employees is being hit by a motorist.
Dive Insight:
Waste Management has 1,200 trucks on the roadways of Florida. According to Lynn Yort, a public sector solution representative for Waste Management, the company’s drivers rank as some of the safest in the industry.
The Move Over Act requires drivers to slow to 20 miles per hour or less than the posted speed limit when a sanitation vehicle is present on a road with two lanes. When driving on a highway with multiple lanes, motorists must merge to an alternate lane away from the vehicle, or slow down to 20 miles per hour under the posted speed limit.
Failure to comply with the law can lead to a fine and points on a driver’s license.
In February, a similar bill, House Bill 762, was backed by state representatives in Georgia. The proposed law requires drivers to slow down and pass waste vehicles if possible, or stop and wait if a double-yellow line exists on the road.
