New York State’s “Move Over Law” will expand to include all vehicles starting March 27.
Starting Wednesday, drivers will be required to take precautions, including slowing down and moving over, to avoid a crash with all vehicles stopped along the roadway.
From 2016 to 2020, 37 individuals were killed outside disabled vehicles in New York. Nationally, nearly 300 drivers are struck and killed roadside every year.
The Move Over Law first became effective in 2010 to prevent collisions with emergency vehicles that were stopped on the roadway. The law has been expanded several times to also cover hazard vehicles, highway worker vehicles, and tow trucks. In 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill to further strengthen the law by including this protection for all vehicles stopped on the roadway.
Under the law, when a driver is approaching a vehicle stopped along either shoulder of the road, they should:
– change into a lane not immediately adjacent to the vehicle, or
– slow down to a reasonable speed if unable to safely make a lane change.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all 50 states have “Move Over” laws to protect law enforcement officers and other first responders, yet one-third of Americans are not aware of these laws.
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