Crash Responder Safety

Slow Down, Move Over

The Move Over Law: A Mandate for Safety

The Move Over Law is a critical piece of legislation designed to protect emergency responders and service personnel who are stopped at the roadside.

What it requires: When approaching stopped emergency vehicles with flashing lights, drivers are required to change lanes.

The penalty: A driver who violates Utah's Move Over Law could face a citation for the infraction, resulting in a $160 fine.

This law protects responders from being struck by passing vehicles, which is a frequent and often deadly risk they face while managing traffic incidents.

If you can't move over: If changing lanes safely is not possible, the law mandates that drivers must slow down and move over in their lane as far as possible from the emergency vehicle.

National requirement: Every state in the U.S. has enacted some type of "Move Over" law, meaning drivers must always take precautions when approaching emergency and service vehicles.

When to Move Over: The Law applies to more than just crash scenes.
Slow down and move over for:
- Stopped emergency vehicles with flashing lights
- Any vehicle pulled over with flashing hazard lights activated
- UDOT or Public Works vehicles working alongside any roadway
- An Incident Management truck assisting a motorist
- A tow truck picking up a vehicle from the shoulder
- A law enforcement officer on a traffic stop

National Safety Concerns

Roadside incidents pose a severe threat to those who respond to them. In 2023 alone, 45 crash responders were struck and killed in traffic-related incidents, with almost half of those involving law enforcement officers.

A total of 155 crash responder fatalities occurred across the U.S. over a three-year period (2021–2024). Winter months are documented to have the highest number of crash responder incidents. The top driver errors contributing to these crashes are driving "too fast for conditions" and "failure to yield" to the flashing lights.

What Drivers Can Do to Keep Responders Safe

Slow Down Immediately: As soon as you see the flashing emergency lights, slow down. Do not brake suddenly, especially if the road is wet or icy, as this could cause you to slide out of control.

Move Over Safely: Move over an entire lane if it can be done safely.

If You Can't Move Over: If you can't move over a full lane, keep your speed slow and move over as much as you safely can to allow room for the responder to work.

Maintain Focus: Do NOT focus on the vehicles or emergency lights on the shoulder. This curiosity can cause you to steer (veer) toward where you are looking. Keep your focus on the road and the safest path ahead.

Yield to Approaching Vehicles: If an emergency vehicle approaches you from behind, DO NOT slam on the brakes. Carefully move to the RIGHT to allow the vehicle to pass you.

Local Responder Incident Data

In 2023, Utah recorded 913 crashes in which a crash responder vehicle was struck.
In the same year, there were 9 crashes in which an individual responder was struck.
The breakdown of struck vehicles in 2023 showed Law Enforcement made up the largest portion at 73.30%.