Maryland's Expanded Move Over Law Takes Effect Oct. 1

LAUREL, MD — Jobs on Maryland roadways are the most dangerous type of work, and a change to expand the state's Move Over law that took effect Monday, Oct. 1, aims to reduce the number of fatalities. The law now includes transportation, service and utility vehicles, as well as waste and recycling trucks, with yellow or amber flashing lights or signal devices. Vehicles already covered by the law include emergency response and law enforcement vehicles, as well as tow trucks.

The expanded law requires drivers approaching (from the rear) one of these vehicles with red, yellow or amber flashing lights that is stopped, standing or parked along the highway to, when possible, move over a lane, according to a news release from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. This movement should only be done if another lane in the same direction is available and the move can be made safely and without impeding other traffic, authorities say.

If the driver is unable to change lanes, the law requires drivers to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing conditions while passing the emergency or service vehicles.

A violation of the Move Over law is a misdemeanor.

• The fine is $110 and the Motor Vehicle Administration must assess one point against the driver’s license.
• If the violation contributes to a crash, the fine is $150 and three points against the driver’s license.
  • If the violation results in death or serious bodily injury, the fine is $750.

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Maryland State Highway Administration has lost employees to drivers who have steered into work areas including: Eddie Gilyard, who was killed in November 2013 while working on the shoulder of I-695 near Belair Road in Baltimore County, and Rick Moser, who was struck and killed along a I-270 ramp in 2007. In Howard County, contractor Erick Meekins was killed in June 2013 while setting up cones on Route 216 near Route 29 in Howard County.

This spring and summer there were severe crashes and close calls including RJO Landscaping employees who narrowly escaped injury when their landscaping crew was struck on I-83.

The new law means AAA Mid-Atlantic battery truck drivers will also be protected as they assist disabled motorists.

“AAA Mid-Atlantic was a proud advocate of this law, as we recognize the importance of having service truck drivers included in move over laws, since they face the same dangers as first responders and tow truck operators when conducting business on the side of our roadways,” said Ragina Cooper Averella, manager of Public and Government Affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a news release.

Law enforcement officers, tow truck operators and others continue to be killed as they work on the state's roadways. Motor vehicle-related incidents are consistently the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, transportation-related incidents remained the most common fatal occupational event in 2016, accounting for 40 percent (2,083).

“The slow down and move over movement is personal to the people of Laurel. In January of 2017, we lost a member of our Department of Public Works family, Marcus Colbert, who was struck by a motorist who hit a parked car and then swerved into him behind the trash truck he was working on,” said Laurel Mayor Craig A. Moe. “This legislation raises public awareness and provides a consistent message to motorists to pay attention to their surroundings to move over and slow down to allow workers on our roadways to successfully complete their assignments and to return to their families at the end of the work day.”

According to a national poll by Mason Dixon Polling & Research, sponsored by the National Safety Commission, 71 percent of Americans have not heard of move over laws. As of Sept. 10, the total number of citations issued to violators of the move over law since its inception on Oct. 1, 2010 were 19,620 (warnings issued 64,345). This year alone 1,269 citations have been written and 5,273 warnings issued.

“The intent of the move over law is to provide an extra barrier of safety for police officers, fire fighters, emergency rescue personnel, tow service operators and all of our public safety personnel working along Maryland roads,” said Captain Dan Pickett, commander of the Washington Metro Troop for the Maryland State Police. “It is imperative that drivers stay alert for these types of situations and move over, if possible, or slow down as they pass by the traffic stop or incident scene.”

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