Move over law

Move Over Law is a traffic law that requires motorists to move over and change lanes to give safe clearance to law enforcement officers, firefighters, ambulances, utility workers, and in some cases, tow-truck drivers. It was developed to protect the lives of workers who have to perform their duties on or near busy highways.

History

The first move over law was established in South Carolina in 1996 after a paramedic, James D. Garcia, was struck and injured at a crash scene on January 28, 1994. Since then, all 50 states in the United States have enacted a move over law.

Provisions

The move over law requires drivers to:

• Move over to another lane when approaching an emergency vehicle or a recovery or roadworks vehicle with flashing lights stopped on the side of the road.
• If it is not safe or possible to move over, the driver must slow down.

Penalties

Penalties for violating the move over law vary by state. They can include:

• Fines
• Points on the driver's license
• Imprisonment

Effectiveness

Studies have shown that move over laws can reduce crash rates and save lives. However, many drivers are unaware of these laws, and enforcement can be difficult.

See also

• Traffic law
• Emergency vehicle lighting
• Freeway shoulder

Move over law Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski