Driving Safety Home: Arizona's Move Over law

By Dallas Hammit
State Engineer/Deputy Director for Transportation

Just about four years ago, an important change was made to Arizona’s Move Over law.

Until that time, the law had required motorists to move over a lane when driving by an emergency services vehicle that was on the side of a road or highway. When amended in 2011, the law was updated to include those same precautions for ANY stationary vehicle with flashing lights – that includes tow-truck drivers, emergency personnel, ADOT employees, stranded motorists or anyone else in a vehicle on the side of the road.

Even though the law has been in place for some time now, I’m sure many of you have noticed drivers who still don’t obey the rule, which is why I’m bringing up the topic today with the hope that all of us can set the example by Moving Over. I also encourage you to share the Move Over message with family and friends, who might not be aware of the law.

Here are a couple of things to know about Arizona’s Move Over law:

• When approaching a stationary vehicle that is giving a signal or displaying warning (hazard) lights, you’ll need to proceed with caution and, if it is safe to do so, move over one lane away from the stationary vehicle.
• Of course, it’s not always possible to safely move over. If traffic conditions prevent you from moving over, or if a second lane does not exist, the Move Over law requires drivers to proceed with caution and reduce the speed of their vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for road conditions.

The Move Over law is important to us at ADOT — it is designed to protect all drivers and those of us who work on or next to our roads. You can find more information on the law, by visiting ADOT’s Move Over AZ website.