Move-over rules are in place in all states.
In 1996, South Carolina was the first state to pass a law requiring drivers to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles. By 2012, all states were on board with rules that largely focused on emergency personnel.
As time passed, many states expanded their protections to apply to vehicles that include road service, utility and tow trucks.
Groups that include the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association have long advocated to include large trucks and others in the commonsense rule.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 3,500 people were killed in crashes nationwide while standing outside of disabled vehicles from 2013 to 2023.
In recent years, states have acted to revise rules to cover all highway users in the protections. Nearly half of all states now include every highway user in their move-over laws.
State lawmakers around the country continue to pursue revisions to include all highway users in rules.
Kansas
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has signed into law a bill to amend the state’s move-over rule.
State law has required travelers to move over or slow down when approaching stationary vehicles that include law enforcement, emergency responders and utility vehicles with lights flashing along roadsides.
Previously SB8, the new rule expands vehicles covered to include any stopped, standing or parked vehicle displaying hazard lights, road flares, traffic cones, reflective triangles and other caution signals.
Kansas Highway Patrol Colonel Erik Smith previously told a Senate committee the rule change would strengthen the state’s other move-over laws that cover emergency personnel.
“It aligns our message across the board – if you see flashing lights, move over and slow down,” he testified.
“Thanks to this commonsense bill, all drivers will now be required to move over or slow down if there is a vehicle on the side of the road with flashing lights,” Kelly said in prepared remarks. “This bill will improve safety and will make it easier to educate the driving public.”
Take it slow…give them space! No, we aren’t talking about relationships, we’re talking about helping save the lives of roadside workers. When approaching tow trucks, first responders and others roadside, slow down and move over. It’s not only the safe thing to do, it’s the law. pic.twitter.com/HsWdni952c
— AAA Kansas News 🚘✈️ (@AAAKansasNews) March 21, 2025
West Virginia
The West Virginia House voted to advance a bill that would expand the list of vehicles covered in the move-over law.
For the past two decades, the state has mandated that drivers move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles with lights activated.
HB2344 calls for adding maintenance vehicles to the protected list. Any stationary vehicle displaying “some type of warning signal, such as emergency flashers, flares or retroreflective signals” would also be included in the revision.
The bill has moved to the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
California
In California, the Assembly Transportation Committee unanimously approved a bill to revise the state’s move-over rule.
Statute requires a driver approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, tow truck or Caltrans vehicle displaying flashing hazard lights to move over or slow down.
AB390 would expand the requirement to apply to all marked highway maintenance vehicles and to any other stationary vehicle displaying flashing hazard lights or “another warning device” that could include cones, flares or retroreflective devices.
Assemblymember Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, said the rule revision is overdue. She cited AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research that showed in 2021, there were 72 truck drivers, delivery workers, motorists and passengers among those killed while outside disabled vehicles on California highways.
Additionally, between 2013 and 2022, California had the second-highest total number of people killed outside disabled vehicles, and it ranked first in the nation for the number killed in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
The bill awaits further consideration in the Assembly.
Massachusetts
A Massachusetts Senate bill would add to the list of vehicles covered under the state’s move-over protection.
State law mandates that drivers change lanes or reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency, maintenance or recovery vehicles with flashing lights on highways.
S2352 would add utility vehicles and disabled vehicles to the list of those protected. A disabled vehicle would be defined as a nonemergency vehicle that is stationary and located on the shoulder or breakdown lane of a roadway or highway.
The bill is in the Senate Transportation Committee.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire law requires drivers to slow down, move out of lanes that are partially or wholly blocked and “give plenty of space” to emergency response vehicles displaying red, blue or amber lights.
The Senate unanimously approved a bill to add language to the law to cover vehicles stopped with flashers on or displaying other warning signals, such as road flares or traffic cones.
The bill, SB273, has the backing of the New Hampshire State Police.
“We urge everyone to prioritize safety by paying attention, slowing down and moving over for those working or stopped on the side of our roads,” Colonel Mark Hall stated following the bill’s Senate passage.
The bill next heads to the House Transportation Committee.
#NEWS: Today, members of the New Hampshire Senate unanimously passed legislation expanding and renaming New Hampshire’s ‘Move Over’ law in honor of State Police Staff Sgt. Jesse E. Sherrill.#NHSP #HQ https://t.co/4cjReQqFCe
— New Hampshire State Police (@NH_StatePolice) March 6, 2025
New Jersey
A New Jersey bill would revise the state’s move-over rule.
One year ago, New Jersey law was amended to include protection for any vehicle along the roadside. Specifically, drivers are required to move over or slow down when approaching a stationary vehicle with flashing hazard lights, road flares or reflective triangles. If changing lanes is not possible, drivers must slow down “below the posted speed limit.”
Only stationary emergency services, highway maintenance, tow trucks and sanitation vehicles were previously protected.
In December, Assembly lawmakers approved another revision. A4813 would require drivers to move over or slow down for any stationary vehicle regardless of whether the vehicle is utilizing flashing, blinking or alternating lights, flashing hazard lights, road flares or reflective triangles.
The bill has moved to the Senate Transportation Committee.
Ohio
One Ohio Senate bill would cover in the state’s move-over rule protection any stationary vehicle that is in “distress.”
Public safety vehicles, emergency vehicles, certain utility vehicles and weight-enforcement vehicles are among those protected in the move-over rule. Affected vehicles are protected when stationary and displaying flashing, oscillating or rotating lights.
SB16 states that “a vehicle is in distress when the operator indicates the condition through lit fuse, flares, red lights, red reflectors, red flags, emergency signs or flashing emergency/hazard lights.”
The bill is in the Senate Transportation Committee.
Texas
Texas law could also soon be revised to cover more vehicles stopped along roadsides.
Lone Star State law requires drivers to move over or reduce speed to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when passing law enforcement, tow trucks and other official vehicles.
HB3726/SB2126 would add to the protection vehicles stopped on a highway shoulder or adjoining a highway and using hazard lights.
Each bill is in its respective chamber’s transportation committee. LL
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