Virginia State Police draw attention to Move Over law

Did you know an on-duty law enforcement officer is killed on average every 53 hours somewhere in the United States? Did you know that the fourth leading cause of death for law enforcement is attributed to being struck and killed by a vehicle?* Did you also know that almost every state in the nation has some form of a “Move Over” law?*

Move Over laws protect those working on and along our roadways. The sole purpose of the law is to provide an extra layer of protection to Virginia’s police, fire, rescue and emergency personnel as they work to protect others.

In 2002, the General Assembly enacted Virginia’s Move Over law and eight years later expanded the law to include tow truck operators, highway maintenance crews and safety service patrols equipped with amber-colored flashing lights. Virginia’s law mandates as motorists approach emergency or maintenance vehicles displaying red, blue or amber lights to change lanes away from the vehicle, if safe to do so. If unable to change lanes, the driver should proceed with caution.

“Virginia State Police has conducted a safety awareness campaign for the last five years in an effort to educate the public about this life-saving law,” said Captain Paul D. Kvasnicka, Jr., Virginia State Police Appomattox Division Commander. “State law requires drivers to pay extra attention to our first-responders stopped at an incident scene. Protect those who work to protect you. Educate yourself and others about this important law.”