More states expanding move-over laws
No matter where you roll in the U.S., one rule follows you from state to state: move over.
Every state has some version of a move-over law, and they don’t all look the same. Some protect emergency responders. Others cover tow trucks, utility crews, and roadside workers. With so many variations, the safest bet is the simplest one – slow down or slide over for anyone parked on the shoulder.
These rules have been in place in all states for more than a decade. Protections initially covered emergency vehicles. Many states have since expanded the laws to include vehicles like road service, utility and tow trucks.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and others have long advocated for including large trucks in the common-sense rule.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 3,500 people were killed nationwide over a recent 10-year period in crashes while standing outside disabled vehicles.
In recent years, more than half of all states have enacted move-over laws to protect all highway users.
Four states have taken action this year to amend rules to include all highway users. The states are California, Kansas, New Hampshire and West Virginia.
Revisions in Kansas, New Hampshire and West Virginia are already in effect. The California rule change will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
Ohio
The Ohio Senate has voted to advance a bill that would extend the state’s move-over rule protection to any stationary vehicle in “distress.” It now moves to the House.
Public safety vehicles, emergency vehicles, certain utility vehicles and weight-enforcement vehicles are among the vehicles protected in the move-over rule. These vehicles are protected when they are 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.”
At a recent hearing, the Ohio Trucking Association testified in favor of the rule change.
“The trucking industry is essential to Ohio’s economy, and our drivers deliver the goods that keep communities running,” Ohio Trucking Association President Thomas Balzer testified. “But too often, our drivers find themselves at risk when their trucks are disabled on the side of the road.”
Balzer said a disabled tractor-trailer “is not just a roadside inconvenience: it is an incredibly dangerous and stressful situation for the driver.”
He said SB16 directly addresses the problem.
“We strongly support SB16 because it provides clear expectations for all drivers when approaching a distressed vehicle,” Balzer said.
The bill is in the House Transportation Committee.
Wisconsin
A bill nearing passage in Wisconsin would expand the state’s move-over rule.
State law requires drivers to either change lanes or slow down when approaching emergency or roadside assistance vehicles that are stopped on or near the roadway.
Assembly lawmakers voted last month to advance a bill that would extend move-over protections to all disabled vehicles along the roadside. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee followed suit this week.
Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk, R-Hubertus, recently told an Assembly committee that current rules do not protect ordinary drivers. He highlighted an incident involving a truck driver who was fatally struck while changing a flat tire for a motorist near Rothschild, Wisc.
“These individuals face the same dangers as tow truck drivers or first responders, yet they are not protected under our current statutes,” Piwowarczyk testified.
AB409 would require drivers to move over or slow down when approaching any disabled vehicle.
The protection would apply to any vehicle on the roadside that displays warning or hazard lights, emergency flares or other emergency warning devices, or to any vehicle attended by at least one person who is visible to passing drivers.
AB409 next heads to the Senate floor. If approved there without changes, the bill would move to the governor’s desk.
Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the Senate approved a bill to expand the list of vehicles covered by the state’s move-over rule.
State law mandates drivers to change lanes or slow down when approaching stationary emergency, maintenance or recovery vehicles with flashing lights on highways.
S2653 would add utility vehicles and disabled vehicles to the list of protected vehicles. 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.
Violators would face $100 fines. Repeat offenders would face $250 fines. Subsequent violations would result in $500 fines.
The bill is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. LL