WATCH: Do you know the law about flashing lights?

• It’s the law to slow down and move over for parked flashing lights
• Many people are unaware of this law
• Friday safety check happened in cities across B.C.

If RCMP decided to ticket drivers who failed to slow down for the tow truck’s flashing lights Friday morning it would have been a costly ticket.

Instead, a partnership with BCAA on Highway 97 north of the airport educated the public on a law they feel isn’t being observed well enough.

“People just are not slowing down,” Dave Weloy, senior manager of fleet operations with BCAA told Kelowna10.

“They’re not understanding the law. They might not know about it, or they’re not educated. Our goal is to get out there, educate the driving public of the slow-down-move-over law.”

The law states when passing a service vehicle, motorists must move into another lane if on a multi-lane road.

It can be anything from a tow truck to emergency vehicles like ambulance, fire, and police cruisers; anything flashing red, blue, or yellow lights.

Meloy explained a simple rule for slowing down: drop to 40 km/h if the speed limit is below 80 and drop to 70 km/h on faster roads.

The law does not apply to vehicles from opposing traffic on a highway that contains a laned roadway or is divided by a median.

Constable David Carter with the Kelowna RCMP detachment told Kelowna10, drivers at their safety check were both receptive and apologetic.

“Put yourself in the position of the tow truck driver who has his back to traffic while he’s hooking up his vehicle to the tow truck,” Carter said. “How safe would you feel having cars whip by you at 90 or 100 km/h?”

Carter and other officers gave print-out sheets to drivers they pulled over with information regarding the law.

Had those pieces of paper been tickets, it would have been for $173 and three demerit points.

BCAA and RCMP hope Friday not only educates those they pulled over, but that the message spreads via word of mouth. The goal is to protect roadside workers.

Carter has seen what can happen if drivers don’t observe this law.

“I knew of a tow truck driver in the lower mainland who lost his leg because he was hit by a car while trying to help somebody,” he said.

“Tow truck drivers do an incredibly good job. But it’s a dangerous job and we just want to keep everybody safe.”

RCMP chose the stretch of road on Highway 97 as a safe place to conduct these stops. Next to Ellison Lake north of the airport, there were long sight lines and a large shoulder area to direct cars off the road.