News MD 'Move Over Law' Takes Effect Oct. 1: Here's What To Know

MARYLAND — A new Maryland law taking effect Saturday, Oct. 1, requires drivers to slow down or change lanes when vehicles are parked or stranded on the side of the road — all part of an effort to reduce the number of roadside deaths.

The beefed up Move Over law — the fourth version of the law in 12 years — covers all vehicles displaying hazard lights on the side of the road.

Drivers must move over when approaching emergency, law enforcement, tow truck, utility and transportation vehicles that are stopped, standing or parked on a highway with lights flashing. If moving over is not possible, then drivers need to slow down.

Beginning Saturday, drivers must also change lanes or slow down when they approach any stopped, standing, or parked vehicle with warning signals.

Earlier this month, Richard Reeves, a Maryland Department of Transportation SHA emergency response technician, had a close call when his vehicle was hit while he was helping a driver stranded on the side of the road.

“The highway is my office and throughout my shift, I respond to disabled motorists, clear hazardous debris and stalled vehicles from travel lanes, and assist with crash cleanup, all with little protection from high-speed traffic,” Reeves said. “My goal is to get home safely each day, so please move over if you can, or slow down to a safe speed.”

Violating the updated law is a misdemeanor that carries a $110 fine and one point on a Marylander's license. If the violation causes a crash, the fine is $150 and three points. If there is a death or serious injury, the fine is $750 and three points.

Maryland is the eighth state in the U.S. to expand its move over law to include any vehicle on the side of the road with its hazard lights on or road flares displayed.

The original Move Over law went into effect in 2010. In 2014, the law was expanded to not only include police cars but also tow trucks, fire trucks and medical and rescue trucks. On Oct. 1, 2018, the law expanded again to transportation, service and utility vehicles, as well as waste and recycling trucks, with yellow or amber flashing lights or signal devices.

Lives lost on the road

If Maryland's Move Over law had been in effect a year earlier, at least two Marylanders' lives might have been spared, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. Kennedy Sookal, of Reisterstown, and Stuart Johnson, of Baltimore, were both killed in separate incidents in 2019, as they tried to change a tire on the side of the road.

“These are heart-breaking reminders of the daily dangers that those who conduct business on the roadside face,” said Ragina Cooper Ali, public and government affairs manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic in Maryland and Washington, D.C. “Adding motorists who are stopped, standing or parked on the side of the road, displaying emergency flashers to the law will provide drivers, as well as emergency personnel, who may be aiding them with additional protections.”

Two AAA workers already covered by the earlier law nevertheless lost their lives in roadside mishaps.

Anthony Okozi, 69, was hit and killed in July by a driver who didn't move over while Okozi was helping a AAA member who had run out of fuel on Route 50 in Bowie.

Last year, AAA contractor Muhammad Shehzad was hit and killed on the side of the road in Howard County after changing a member's tire.

In a 2021 AAA poll of Maryland first responders, including law enforcement, EMS, tow truck drivers and roadside workers, more than 90 percent of those surveyed said they personally have been involved in a near miss incident or had their life threatened because a driver failed to move over. The Towing & Recovery Association of America reports that a towing technician loses his or her life every six days on America's roadways.

Traffic-related incidents, including vehicle crashes, are one of the leading causes of death for law enforcement officers. From 2007 to 2017, 39 percent of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were lost in traffic-related incidents, the U.S. Department of Transportation said. In Maryland, more than 4,000 people were injured, and 53 people were killed in work zone crashes between 2014 and 2019.

Move Over Awareness Month

October has been declared Move Over Awareness Month in Maryland to help continue educating drivers about their duty to slow down or move over.

“Moving over and slowing down when passing a vehicle stopped on the highway isn’t just a matter of following the law—it is about saving lives,” said Gov. Larry Hogan. “This is especially critical to protect the crews and first responders who are working on the roads within inches of fast-moving traffic. We can all do our part to make sure that everyone gets where they’re going safely.” ,>

Last year, 1,847 citations were issued for move-over violations in Maryland.

The State of Maryland has set a goal of zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries through a data-driven approach.