Increase Your Knowledge

Increase Your Knowledge Move Over Law

March 2020 - Passing Certain Vehicles or "Move Over Law." Texas Transportation Code 545.157

Conducting work on a highway or roadway is a dangerous business.  Whether its Police Officers performing traffic stops, Highway Department workers doing maintenance, or Tow Truck drivers hauling away vehicles, working alongside the roadway with heavy traffic can be hectic and dangerous.

That is why Texas has enabled this critical law.  The law states that unless a police officer otherwise directs you, a driver passing a stationary emergency vehicle using visual signals, a stationary tow truck using equipment, or a Texas Department of Transportation vehicle using visual signals and not separated by a traffic control device shall:

(1) vacate the lane closest to the vehicle when driving on a highway with two or more lanes traveling in the direction of the vehicle; or 

(2) slow to a speed not to exceed: (A) 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or more; or (B) five miles per hour when the posted speed limit is less than 25 miles per hour. 

All of our First Responders, Highway Department, and Tow drivers ask you to please move over, and if you are unable,  then to slow down.  This will help create a safer environment for all that are involved.

January 2020 - Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) What you can do to prepare in case of an active shooter.

As many read in the headlines of Active Attacks in our communities, the Abilene Police Department would like to send out some highlights from Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, or ALERRT.  These considerations are from the Citizen Response To Active Shooter Events (CRASE). You can find the course on the TEEX website by clicking here: TEEX CRASE Class

There is a short acronym to remember when encountered with an active threat.


AVOID - If you can safely retreat in the opposite direction of the threat, then do so.  If you are certain an attack is taking place in one area of a store, school, or place of business, then find a way out at the opposite side of the threat using whatever means necessary, such as a door or window.

DENY -  If you find there is no way to escape the attack, then the next line of defense is DENY.  This means retreating to a room, locking the door and turning off the lights.  Use any means necessary to secure the door.  If the door is inward opening, barricade the door with objects such as furniture or equipment.  If the door is outward opening, try securing the door with a rope, belt, extension cords, or any other material that you can tie off to prevent the door from opening.

DEFEND - The last line of defense is DEFEND.  Arm yourself with anything that can be used as a weapon like a pair of scissors, a chair, a fire extinguisher, or something that will inflict the most damage.  If the attacker makes entry into your space, use these weapons to fight like your life depends on it, because it does.