Austin Police To Enforce State's 'Move Over' Law

AUSTIN, TX — Police in Austin will conduct a traffic initiative on Wednesday to enforce the state's "Move Over" law stipulating that vehicles veer away or slow down in approaching emergency vehicles on the highway shoulder.

Drivers are required to move over a lane when they see a vehicle such as a tow truck with emergency lights activated ahead of them. Short of that, motorists are required to slow down to 20 miles per hour on making such an approach.

The operation on Wednesday will focus on vehicles not moving over for tow trucks which are classified as emergency vehicles. The "Move Over" law is rooted in research from AAA indicating a tow truck operator is killed once every six days, making it an extremely dangerous job.

The operation in Austin will be in effect from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. utilizing a highway enforcement detective along with eight officers working overtime. APD has partnered with Southside Towing who donated a tow truck and an out-of-service vehicle as part of the initiative.

The goal of the operation is to bring awareness to the law and encourage compliance in the future, police said in an emailed press advisory. The effort will mark the fifth one in which tow trucks will be used, with the next enforcement period scheduled for Sept. 25.

After their last enforcement period, police revealed last month they issued nearly 200 warnings to drivers not in compliance. The Highway Enforcement Command unit of the Austin Police Department last conducted the initiative along the 4800 block of East Ben White Boulevard on Wednesday, Aug. 14, to enforce a traffic code provision known informally as the "Move Over" law stipulating that drivers 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.