Austin Police Department Enforces 'Move Over' Law

AUSTIN, TX — Police issued more than 40 citations and warnings on Wednesday after implementing its latest initiative in enforcing the state's "Move Over" law requiring drivers to watch for emergency vehicles on roadways' edges.

The law states that vehicles must either move over a lane or slow down to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit if they pass an emergency vehicle with its emergency lights activated. The operation on Wednesday focused on vehicles not moving over for tow trucks.

Grim statistics point to the need for such police enforcement: Research from AAA shows that a tow truck operator is killed once every six days, making it among the nation's most dangerous jobs. In its latest enforcement period, police issued 177 warnings to motorists passing authorized emergency vehicles and eight citations plus 15 warnings for "hazardous violations."

In terms of non-hazardous violations, police issued nine citations and 11 warnings.

Previous coverage:

• Austin Police Enforce Texas 'Move Over' Law
• Austin Police To Enforce State's 'Move Over' Law
  
• Austin Police Poised To Enforce 'Move Over' Law

The Austin Police Department undertook the operation from about 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., utilizing one detective and 12 officers, officials said in a press advisory. The location where the initiative took place was along the 1000 block of East Anderson Lane eastbound.

"We partnered with A&A Wrecker and Recovery and they donated a tow truck and an out-of-service vehicle for the operation," police explained. "The goal of the operation was to bring awareness to the law and encourage compliance in the future."

The effort represented the sixth operation in which tow trucks were used, with only warnings issued to violators as police seek to familiarize the motoring public to the law. Other citations were issued for other infractions in the course of the "Move Over" enforcement, police noted. Including the five previous initiatives with tow trucks, APD officers made 1,253 stops for passing tow trucks in the last four months, officials added.