Augusta, GA – Move over! A new Georgia law is requiring all drivers to yield to garbage trucks.
The law went into effect on July 1st along with several others, which is why it may have been overlooked.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Division says they plan to enforce the law just like any other.
A new Georgia law is adding garbage trucks to the list of vehicles drivers need to look out for on the road. The law is aimed at keeping sanitation workers and other drivers safe from people in a hurry.
“We see a lot of tailgating, people getting really close to the back end of the garbage trucks, and on the main road, we have to stop to pick up a can, we don’t have the room to work so we either have to wait for the driver to pass us, or back up,” Driver Nicholas Zamora said.
Nicholas Zamora works for Columbia Waste and said people don’t realize how dangerous his job is, not just for the workers hanging on to the back of the truck but for the truck drivers.
“These trucks don’t stop on a dime you know these trucks are 52,000 pounds and it takes a good while for us to stop. So slamming on your brakes in front of us, we’ve actually lost one trucks that flipped over on the side of Columbia Road,” Zamora explained.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has not yet given out any citations for the new law. Sergeant Danny Whitehead says he wants to educate people on the law before he starts handing out tickets.
“As we deal with is we’ll deal with it on one base at a time, if it’s something that we can just issue a warning make sure they’re aware of the law,” Whitehead said.
The law says if you’re driving behind a garbage truck with lights flashing then you have to move a full lane over to pass. If you can’t pass that way then you can drop your speed to 10 miles under the speed limit and carefully pass the truck.
“Keep in mind we want to go home to our families too,” Zamora is asking all drivers to remember.
The fine for passing this breaking this law is $250.
