Wauwatosa Police Department ramping up "Move Over Law" enforcement after officer was hit by vehicle

WAUWATOSA (CBS 58) -- The Wauwatosa Police Department is ramping up enforcement for the "Move Over Law" after one of their officers was hit by a passing vehicle last month. 

"He was very lucky cause it could have turned out significantly worse than it did for him," said Sgt. Abby Pavlik with the Wauwatosa Police Department.

"Somebody was watching out for him because that would have been devastating."

CBS 58 rode along with Sgt. Pavlik to see how often cars do not move over or slow down for emergency vehicles. 

The "Move Over Law" in Wisconsin requires drivers to shift lanes or slow down in order to provide a "safety zone" for a squad car, ambulance, fire truck, tow truck, utility vehicle, or highway maintenance vehicle that is stopped on the side of a road with its warning lights flashing, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 

Failure of motorists to move over is one of the reasons that motor vehicle crashes kill more law enforcement officers on duty than any other cause, according to the DOT. 

"Think about if that was your loved one that was making that traffic stop or even your loved one that’s in that car that’s being stopped and now somebody isn’t paying attention and an officer is killed or injured or a citizen is killed or injured," said Pavlik.