N.Y. Move Over Law Expanded to Include More Vehicles
The "Move Over" traffic safety law will be expanded on New Year's Day to include tow truck operators and other authorized personnel involved in roadside assistance or highway maintenance, according to a media release from the state Thruway Authority.
The Ambrose-Searles Move Over Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, requires motorists to use extreme caution to avoid an accident when approaching an emergency service vehicle parked, stopped or standing on the shoulder of a road or highway with its emergency lights activated. The amendment to the law requires drivers to also yield to vehicles with flashing amber lights, such as tow trucks. When it is not possible to move over, or there is only one lane, drivers must slow down.
The amendment to the state Vehicle & Traffic Law will take effect Sunday.
"The men and women who work on our highways perform essential, often life-saving, services," New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico said in the release. "It's always been common sense to move over to give them room to do their jobs, and now it's the law."
The expanded law covers "hazard vehicles," such as tow trucks, HELP trucks, highway maintenance trucks and any other vehicle being used in the construction or maintenance of roadways.
Drivers who violate the Move Over law could be fined up to $275, plus a court surcharge of $85, and sentenced to up to 15 days in jail. The driver also could be assessed three points on their driving record.
Roadside deaths in recent years have included New York State Troopers in Westchester County and Erie County, a Onondaga County Sheriff's deputy in Syracuse and a man working on a lane striping crew in Erie County.
In November, a tow truck operator was struck and killed while tending to a disabled vehicle on the New York State Thruway near Syracuse.
Copyright 2011 - The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
