Drivers in Florida are being reminded to move over for emergency and service vehicles stopped along the roadway.
The call comes after new statistics revealed there were 182 crashes and over 20,000 citations issued for motorists failing to move over in 2019.
“The Move Over Law is in place to protect those who serve all of us on the roadways, giving them a safe space to do their jobs,” said Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) Executive Director, Terry Rhodes.
The Move Over Law states that drivers must move over as soon as it is safe to do so for any authorized law enforcement, emergency or service vehicles displaying any visible signals while stopped on the roadside, including Road Rangers, sanitation vehicles and tow trucks.
To comply with the Move Over Law drivers must:
Multi-Lane Roadway:
Vacate the lane closest to the stationary emergency vehicle, sanitation vehicle, utility service vehicle, Road Ranger or wrecker and always signal the intention to change lanes.
Slow down to a speed of 20 mph below the posted speed limit if a driver cannot move over safely.
Be prepared to allow those who are attempting to move over into the next lane.
Two-Lane Roadway:
Slow down to a speed of 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
Travel at 5 mph if the speed limit is 20 mph or less.
Aggressive drivers can be reported by dialing *FHP (*347). More information on the Move Over Law is available at https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/move-over/
