Dive Brief:

• Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed into law a bill to reduce roadway accidents and fatalities involving waste and recycling employees.
• The “Move Over Act” was amended to include sanitation and utility vehicles. Under the law, as cars approach a truck, the driver must merge into the next lane. If changing lanes isn’t possible, cars must slow down to 20 miles below the posted speed limit. 
• The National Waste & Recycling Association supported the bill and is working to move similar legislation forward in other states. The industry-wide campaign geared toward drivers is “Slow Down to Get Around” and serves as a reminder for others to drive cautiously when approaching sanitation trucks. 

Dive Insight:

A similar bill has been supported by state representatives in Georgia. In February, legislators introduced a bill requiring vehicles to slow down or stop when approaching sanitation trucks. At a time when drivers are increasingly distracted by technology, it is important to protect employees while on the job.

In New York City, legislators went a step further to protect workers after a number of assaults involving sanitation workers grew from 17 in 2010 to 42 in 2011. The law gives sanitation workers the same legal protection as firemen and other uniformed employees.