Move-over laws require drivers to slow down or change lanes when they see an emergency vehicle with flashing lights or siren. These laws aim to provide greater safety clearance for first responders and allow them to reach their destination more quickly. The specific requirements of the law may vary, but they generally apply to police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and tow trucks. Despite their increasing prevalence, many drivers are unaware of them.
A moving law is a law that requires drivers to slow down or change lanes when they see a law enforcement vehicle or emergency vehicle that is stopped on the side of the road or traveling with its flashing lights or siren on. This type of law was first created in the United States in 1994 after a paramedic in South Carolina was hit by a vehicle and injured while working at the scene of an accident. The purpose of a move-in law is to provide greater safety clearance for first responders and law enforcement officers and allow them to reach their destination more quickly. Transfer laws have become more common, but they don’t exist in all jurisdictions.
The specific requirements of a transfer law can vary from place to place, but the principles are generally the same. This type of law may require drivers to move out of a lane if they see an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing or stopped on the side of the road. If it is unsafe for the vehicle to move into a lane, the driver may be asked to slow down to a certain speed. For example, drivers may be required to go no more than 40 miles per hour (64 km/hour) or to go no more than 20 miles per hour (32 km/hour) below the speed limit indicated when overtaking a law enforcement vehicle or emergency vehicle. These laws typically do not apply when the law enforcement vehicle or emergency vehicle is across a divided highway.
These laws may apply to police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and possibly other emergency vehicles, such as tow trucks. A passage to the law helps protect law enforcement officials and emergency responders from injury while performing their jobs. Despite the increasing prevalence of transfer laws, research has shown that many drivers have either not heard of them or don’t know what they require. Traffic signs have been posted in some places to increase drivers’ awareness of applicable traffic laws.
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