From Triple A
Starting this Saturday, July 1, drivers need to slow down and move over, if possible, for stationary vehicles on Virginia’s roadside that are displaying hazard lights, warning signs, or flares. AAA proposed and supported the extension of the Move Over law that currently protects first responders and others working along Virginia roads displaying red, blue or amber flashing lights. The common sense change to the law saw wide bi-partisan support in both the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate and was signed into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin in late March. The law goes into effect just ahead of the 4th of July holiday. AAA estimates Nearly 1.2 million Virginians will be traveling by car over the long Independence Day weekend.
“The danger starts the moment someone stops on the roadside,” says AAA Public and Government Affairs Manager Morgan Dean. “This change to the law helps to protect them, along with our first responders, law enforcement officers, highway maintenance crew members and tow truck operators.”
Just last month, a 20 year old airman was struck and killed on the side of Interstate 295 in Hanover County while changing a tire in the middle of the night. The driver who struck and killed him did not stop. Between 2016 and 2020, 28 people were killed in crashes while outside of a disabled vehicle in Virginia. Annually, around 300 people are killed nationwide while leaving, working on or returning to a stopped vehicle along the road. That number is up 25% since 2014.
“The question now is not ‘who’ you should choose to slow down and/or move over a lane for when passing by,” says Lt. Col. Matt Hanley, Director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Field Operations. “Instead, we need Virginians to ask, ‘What should I do as a responsible driver?’ The purpose of Virginia’s ‘Move Over’ law is simple-to create a safe zone for everyone-essential workers as they carry out their duties and for the driver experiencing an emergency on the side of the road.”
Forty-nine year old Angela Hurley of Mechanicsville was killed on the roadside on Interstate 95 near Ashland last summer as she waited in her disabled vehicle for help. Police accuse a driver of moving onto the shoulder to pass slower moving vehicles of striking her car, killing her. She leaves behind a young son and her loved ones are still trying to come to terms with her senseless death.
“We are grateful lawmakers and AAA coordinated an effort to keep Virginia roadways safer,” says Latane Flanagan, sister of Angela Hurley. “Angela was traveling to meet friends for lunch when her car became inoperable. She sat in her car for only a moment before being killed – the offender accelerated to 89 mph on impact. Some mornings, grief makes the weight of your skin feel like too much to lift. Supporting this law in Angela’s honor is a silver lining. Please, slow down and move over, we want everyone to make it home to their loved ones.”
In 2018, Lt. Brad Clark with Hanover Fire and EMS was responding to a call for a vehicle crash with fellow firefighters on I-295 as the remnants of Hurricane Michael were moving through Central Virginia. Moments after stopping his vehicle at the crash scene and activating the emergency lights, the rig was struck by a tractor trailer driven by Lester Labarge. Lt. Clark died on the scene, two other firefighters were injured. Labarge was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving in the fatal crash. In the wake of the crash, and in her husband’s honor, Melanie Clark has become an outspoken advocate for roadside safety.
“The expansion of the Move Over Law will undoubtedly aid in saving lives by protecting motorists when an emergency occurs,” says Melanie Clark, widow of Hanover Fire and EMS Lt. Brad Clark. “Let’s keep the Move Over Law in the forefront of our minds while driving because Virginia‘s emergency responders lives depend on it. My hope is that the expansion of the law will aid in preventing tragic deaths on our roadways. Every life counts and the ripple effects of a life cut short due to a driver failing to slow down and move over, live on forever.”
A 2021 AAA poll of drivers in Virginia found that more than 9 out of 10 respondents said they would support a change to the move over law to cover stationary vehicles. In that same poll, more than one-quarter(28%) said they were unsure if there was a move over law in place or thought there was ‘no’ Move Over law in the state.
“For drivers, the message today is Slow Down and Move Over whenever you see any vehicle along the roadway,” said Dean. “For those who have to stop on the roadside, remember to turn on your hazard lights, put up your emergency reflective triangle and/or put out flares to make yourself as visible as possible to other vehicles.”
Under the new law, a driver on a four-lane road must proceed with caution and, if reasonable, change lanes as they pass a stationary vehicle displaying the proper warning signs. However, if changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, a driver must proceed with caution and maintain a safe speed for highway conditions. If a driver fails to change lanes or proceed with caution, they could be charged with a traffic infraction, which carries a fine of up to $250.
