Driver challenges move-over law ticket

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A driver is fighting a $710 move-over law ticket in DeKalb County.

Alvin Bennett says the state trooper who stopped him noted on the ticket that there was not room for Bennett to move over, but said Bennett could have slowed down. Bennett claims that he did.

“The first thing he said to me that he saw that I couldn’t move over because there was a vehicle there,” Bennett said.

Bennett said the trooper told him the move-over law requires drivers who cannot move over to slow down below the speed limit and prepare to stop.

“I was slowing down because I took my foot off the accelerator,” Bennett said.

The officer disagreed.

Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-District 35, a co-sponsor of the original law, wants to take another look at the law to make “slow down to a reasonable speed” less vague, and less subjective.

“I think it’s clearly being used for revenue enhancement for the area and laws aren’t intended to do that,” Mullis said.

He said he would like to see the law changed so drivers trying to follow the law don’t get hit with huge fines.

“I couldn’t get over and I wasn’t speeding so how do I get the ticket?” Bennet said.

According to the ticket, the trooper’s dashcam captured the incident. Bennett says he plans to fight the ticket as long as possible.

WSBTV