AAA: Move over or slow down – It’s the law

On Saturday, Oct. 19, which is National Move Over Awareness Day, AAA is reminding drivers about Missouri’s Move Over Law.

The state’s Move Over law requires drivers to change lanes, if safe to do so, when approaching Missouri Department of Transportation vehicles, law enforcement vehicles, and any other emergency vehicle, including tow trucks, with lights flashing. If drivers can’t change lanes safely, they must slow down as they pass the emergency vehicles. In Missouri, drivers who fail to give emergency and work crews space to safely do their jobs face a Class A misdemeanor which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of $2,000.

On average, 24 emergency responders, including tow providers, are hit and killed every year. However, that number could be much higher. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety researchers have found roadside assistance providers are killed nearly four times more often than what is reported. The discrepancy is due to a persistent failure of state police crash report forms to identify crash victims as roadside assistance providers.

Key findings involving emergency responder fatalities:

89% occurred at locations with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or higher, almost all of which were on interstates or other limited access highways

84% occurred in crashes with no indication of precipitation nor slippery road conditions

63% occurred during darkness, of which nearly two-thirds were at locations without lighting

63% occurred in crashes in which the striking vehicle left the road before striking the roadside assistance provider, the provider’s vehicle, or the disabled vehicle (likely the result of impairment, fatigue, or distraction)

The AAA Foundation also surveyed tow workers, emergency responders, and road maintenance workers on their experiences with roadside jobs. Of those surveyed, 60% had experienced a near miss while working at the roadside, while an astonishing 15% had survived a passing vehicle hitting them.

“Surveys by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also indicate that many people do not realize how risky it is to be along the side of the road close to fast-moving traffic,” said AAA Spokesperson Nick Chabarria. “All drivers should remember that the people who come to our rescue on the side of the road, need space to do their work, and they also want to get home safely to their families at the end of the day.”

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research has found:

23% of drivers report not being aware of the Move Over law in their state and 30% do not completely understand the law

77% are aware of the law and most (91%) say they are comfortable complying with the law

However, among people who do not comply with Move Over laws, 42% thought this behavior was only somewhat or not dangerous at all to roadside emergency workers

Other reasons given by drivers who do not comply with the law include feeling that they don’t have enough space to change lanes safely and that slowing down could cause a crash with another vehicle

All 50 states have Move Over laws but, in some states, like Missouri, it applies only to stopped emergency vehicles and tow trucks with lights flashing. That is why AAA is advocating for expansion of the law to include ALL stopped vehicles, including drivers who are experiencing vehicle trouble or who pulled off the lanes of traffic following a crash.

To protect those working or stranded at the roadside, AAA recommends drivers:

Remain alert, avoid distractions, and focus on the task of driving.

Keep an eye out for situations where emergency vehicles, tow trucks, utility service vehicles or disabled vehicles are stopped on the side of the road.

When you see these situations, slow down and if possible, move one lane over and away from the people and vehicles stopped at the side of the road.

This Saturday, October 19, is National Move Over Day, which is a day to remind the public about the importance of following Move Over or Slow Down laws.