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There is a trend in a variety of states across the U.S. to crack down on those motorists who do not observe "Slow Down, Move Over" laws that require drivers to reduce their speed and clear the lane next to emergency responders and motorists who are parked on the shoulders of highways. (In fact, the dangers involved in emergency situations mean some first responders now have robots to assist them.) As of 2012, every state in the union had one of these laws, but they provided protection only to fire, police, and ambulance personnel. As time went on, a number of states expanded these laws to cover road crews, utility vehicles, and tow trucks. The latest development involves expanding these laws to cover anyone who finds themselves stuck by the side of the road.
According to the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, a total of 46 persons responding to a roadside emergency lost their lives while helping people by the roadside during 2024. This was in spite of the presence of Slow Down, Move Over laws being in effect in every single state.
A recent study put out by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has revealed that, because of both drivers' lack of compliance and poor understanding about these laws, more than one-third of all drivers do not slow down or move over when workers are present on the roadside. The other two-thirds either changed lanes or reduced their speed but did not do both. The study found that fewer motorists slowed down or moved over for tow trucks, while a higher percentage conformed with this behavior for police vehicles.
AAA, which offers many services you might have not known about, provided several recommendations for improving the public's awareness of and compliance with these Slow Down, Move Over laws that already exist in every state. It recommends that all 50 states' laws be standardized to give protection to all types of vehicles on the roadside and to any person who happens to end up there. It also suggests a public education campaign that starts with driver's ed. classes and reaches older drivers through public service announcements, navigation apps, and roadway signs.
Finally, AAA acknowledged that more emphasis needs to be put on enforcement of these Slow Down, Move Over laws, with an initial emphasis on making the driving public more aware of these laws. This should then provide the desired result of having more drivers observe them by slowing down and moving over, which will save many more lives of first responders, roadside workers, and anyone else who finds themselves stuck on the side of the road. (Just in case that person is you, you may want to check out these Milwaukee apparel items to keep safe.) And that's a good thing.
Slow Down, Move Over laws already exist in every U.S. state that you will ever drive through. So it only makes sense to be alert for any vehicles stopped by the roadside, slow down if you see any, and move over whenever possible to give them some space to do what they need to do and get home safely.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RS3 on Sunday March 01 2026, @06:31PM (2 children)
I'll assume you're being (somewhat) sarcastic. I get it. The problem, as I see it, is these kinds of laws are far too vague, but also far too generalized (one size fits all), but sometimes too specific.
In my state, as many, there's a law that says cars need to give 4 feet of clearance when passing a bicycle.
A) Is there a measuring device on cars? Who can judge 4 feet accurately? Can a cop, who thinks you're too close to the bicycle?
B) What if the bicycle is in the middle of a lane? What if bicycle is weaving? Or just decides to veer to the left as you're passing, causing the distance to be less than 4 feet? In other words, you'd have been 4 feet safe but bicycle changes the scenario midway?
C) What about a car is suddenly coming the other way? No time nor distance (road width) to keep that 4+ foot distance.
Point is, "slow down": how much?
"Move over": again, how much?
And when, in what scenario?
A few days ago I was behind a car who was a bit overly cautious. 2-lane semi-rural road. Hills, turns, etc. An ambulance was coming the other way, lights on but no siren, no high-speed. Car in front of me slams on his brakes and moves over (no shoulder, just mud). Was that necessary? Ambulance had clear lane, we had clear lane, our travel had zero impact on ambulance. Again, is it still necessary?
For all of these reasons and many more I have a dash camera.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 01 2026, @08:07PM (1 child)
> give 4 feet of clearance when passing a bicycle.
> A) Is there a measuring device on cars? Who can judge 4 feet accurately?
I knew when I was grazed by the side mirror of a car, while I was on the shoulder side of the white "fog line". That was much less than 4 feet!
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday March 04 2026, @01:43AM
I have a few nice bicycles, but haven't ridden in a few years. I miss riding. I never ride on the streets. I would if there were bike lanes, but I live in an older suburban area and there's no room nor budget for shoulders. I know bikes have a right to use roads, but I sure wouldn't. Plenty of nice trails and other places to ride near me.