Arizona Department of Transportation is reminding drivers there is a state law requiring drivers to move to the outside lane when approaching any emergency crews at work on city highways or roads. The law has been in effect since 2005. In 2011 the Arizona state legislation amended the “Move Over” law to include tow truck drivers, maintenance vehicles and any vehicles displaying flashing emergency lights. If drivers cannot move to an outside lane they are required to significantly slow the speed of their vehicle and pass the stopped vehicle with caution.

Since 2006 no one has died on Arizona roadways as a result of a driver failing to move their vehicle over. The 60 years previous to that saw 60 people lose their lives because drivers failed to yield for them while they were worker on the roadside.

Police, firefighters, paramedics, tow truck drivers, construction workers; the list of who might be required to work along the side of a roadway is fairly lengthy, but they all have one thing in common: they are there to help. It would seem common courtesy for drivers to slow their vehicles as they approached, allowing for a large safe area between them and the person or persons working on the road side.

In Arizona failure to “Move Over” will result in a hefty fine and points being added to your license. More significantly, if you don’t move your vehicle over you run the risk of striking and possibly killing someone who is there trying to help. If that were the case you could conceivably be charge with vehicular manslaughter.

Just about every week on YouTube a new video is posted from a dashcam in some police officer’s vehicle showing a distracted driver (drunk, sleepy, not paying attention) side-swiping a vehicle, sometimes with tragic results. In Arizona this type of behavior simply is not tolerated.