Pennsylvania's 'Move Over' law now in effect for motorists

It’s a familiar situation for drivers: They see a stopped vehicle in the emergency lane on the right side of the road, with a police officer or first responder providing aid.

For safety reasons, drivers in the right-hand lane have been encouraged to slow down or, ideally, to move to the left lane, if possible, to give the stalled vehicle and those assisting a little more room to maneuver.

However, motorists aren’t always accommodating in these situations. The results can be fatal.

As of Tuesday, a new law is in effect to cut down on tragedies and mishaps.

Pennsylvania’s “Move Over” law requires drivers approaching an emergency response area who are unable to safely merge into a lane farther away from the response area to slow down to at least 20 mph under the posted speed limit. An emergency response area is where an emergency vehicle has its lights flashing, or where road crews or emergency responders have lit flares, posted signs or are trying to warn motorists.

According to all-time statistics provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 151 Pennsylvania emergency responders have been struck and killed while assisting others on roadways within the state. The number does not include the 110 PennDOT and turnpike workers who have also been struck and killed while on duty.

Under the new law, motorists must move over or slow down for all responders, including police, fire, and ambulance crews, as well as stopped tow trucks and maintenance vehicles. Additionally, a similar regulation requires motorists to move over or slow down when approaching a stationary trash or recycling truck.

The penalties for failure to follow these rules are steep.

Failure to move over or slow down will result in a citation that carries a $500 fine for first-time offenders, $1,000 for a second offense, and $2,000 and a 90-day license suspension for a third or subsequent offense. Penalties are increased for incidents that seriously injure or kill another person.

The new law “is a great thing to have in place,” said PennDOT Community Relations Coordinator Christina Gibbs. “We’ve got our emergency responders out there at times risking their lives to save motorists who have been in an accident or have a broken-down vehicle. To make that safer for them is nothing but a benefit to them and the motorists in general.”

The enhanced “Move Over” Legislation was signed into law by Gov. Wolf last October. For her part, Gibbs makes no apologies for the stiff fines that will be handed out to even first-time offenders breaking the “Move Over” law.

“It’s definitely an incentive to follow the law,” said Gibbs. “It does not take much to put a turn signal on and get into another lane, or to slow down dramatically. It’s for the safety of people who come out and risk their lives to protect us. In the grand scheme of things ($500) is somewhat low of a fine.”