A union that represents rank-and-file New Jersey State Police troopers claims New Jersey 101.5 radio host Judi Franco is "trampling on the graves of fallen police officers" with her opposition to the state's Move Over law.

Wayne Blanchard, president of the State Troopers' Fraternal Association, issued a statement in response to an opinion piece by Franco criticizing a proposed upgrade to the state law that requires motorists move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles, such as police, fire, paramedics and tow truck drivers.

As it is now, the Move Over law imposes a fine of $100 to $500 for drivers who don't move over or slow down. The upgrade, proposed by Assembly members Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling and Sen. Vin Gopal, all D-Monmouth from the 11th District, would also assess two motor vehicle points to drivers who violate the law.

The law, one of many such measures across the country, became law in January 2009 but rose in prominence after the death of Trooper Marc Castellano, who was struck and killed on Interstate 195 nearly 18 months after the law was signed.

It requires drivers to move into the traffic lane not adjacent to the emergency vehicle. If it's not safe to move over, the law requires drivers to slow down and be prepared to stop.

Learn more about efforts by Castellano's mother to promote the Move Over law in the video at the top of the page.

More:Move Over Law: Fallen trooper's Lacey mom saves others from what killed her son

More:Murphy renames I-195 in Howell after fallen state trooper

Franco called the existing law "silly" and unnecessary in an opinion piece posted online Tuesday under the headline "Dead cops make bad laws."

Franco wrote that drivers have resorted to "hazardous" driving patterns when they notice the emergency vehicles too late.

"Duh. No one is going to deliberately run into someone on the side of a road. If you can move over safely, you probably will. But it’s not always safe to," she wrote.

"A dead cop is sad. But a horrible tragedy doesn’t warrant a law that puts other drivers at risk and is almost impossible to enforce," she wrote.

Blanchard's statement called the opinion piece "a meager attempt to stir the pot for ratings."

Since August, seven police officers have been struck on the side of the roads by drivers who failed to move over, which underscores the need for both the original law as well as the proposed upgrade, Blanchard said.

In August, four Manchester police officers were injured after being struck on Route 37 less than 100 feet from a sign reminding motorists of the Move Over law.

A month later, a Brick officer was struck by an impaired driver who did not slow down or move over.

Gopal, one of the sponsors of the proposed Move Over law upgrades, called Franco's words "disgraceful and disgusting" and called on the radio station to apologize.

NJ 101.5 management said in a statement they appreciated the feedback of from the troopers' union and underscored the strong relationship it has had with law enforcement over the years.

"Our talk hosts at New Jersey 101.5 are chosen because they offer strong opinions and viewpoints. We understand not everyone will agree with them — they frequently disagree with one another — and that's why we encourage our listeners to reach out on-air and online. Our goal isn't to tell anyone what to think, but to give our hosts the space to start conversations."

Earlier this year, Franco and her co-host Dennis Malloy were suspended from the airwaves for 10 days after referring to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal as "turban man." Grewal is the nation's first Sikh attorney general.

Susanne Cervenka: @scervenka; 732-643-4229; scervenka@gannettnj.com