The Tennessee Department of Safety announced this week that they have enlisted trucking companies to display decals telling motorists to move over for parked emergency vehicles. Violators in Tennessee currently face a minimum $50 fine, but some lawmakers want to increase the penalties to between $100 and $500. The state’s “move over” law has been on the books since July 2004.
“Move Over Laws” require motorists to move over or slow down to provide a safety zone for stopped emergency vehicles such as police cars, ambulances and fire trucks. The laws require motorists to move over to the farthest lane of traffic on an interstate or highway with more than two lanes when they come upon a stopped emergency vehicle. Drivers on two-lane highways must slow down to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit and then proceed with caution.
More than 30 states have a “move over” law on the books. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for officers, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.
