Florida’s Move Over Law Expanded
A little over 20 years ago, Florida lawmakers enacted the Move Over law, which requires drivers to move over a lane for certain vehicles, including stopped law enforcement and emergency vehicles. Recently, Florida governor Ron DeSantis expanded the reach of this law by signing a law that now requires all drivers to move over a lane for any broken-down vehicles. Failing to abide by this law is not only dangerous, but could open a driver up to liability for causing a collision with a stalled or non-functioning vehicle.
The Move Over Law
The Move Over law requires all drivers to move over a lane, as long as they can safely do so, for certain vehicle, including stopped law enforcement vehicles and vehicles with warning lights, such as:
- Emergency responders;
- Sanitation vehicles;
- Utility service vehicles;
- Tow trucks;
- Wreckers; and
- Maintenance and construction vehicles.
When unable to move over, or while traveling on a two-lane road, motorists must still slow down to a speed that is at least 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit, unless the posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour, in which case, they need slow down to five miles per hour. Drivers who fail to abide by these rules face fines, fees, and the accrual of points on their driving records. However, these drivers also put any other road users at risk, especially those in the stopped vehicle.
Expansion of the Move Over Law
The new law will go into effect on January first of next year and will require Florida drivers to move over a lane not only for the vehicles we mentioned earlier, but also for:
- Any broken-down vehicles that are stopped and have their hazard or warning lights turned on;
- Stopped vehicles with emergency signage or emergency flares; or
- Stopped vehicles when there is at least one person present.
It is hoped that the expansion of the Move Over law will help address the increasing numbers of people who are injured or killed in stopped-vehicle collisions. It is estimated that as many as 15,000 people are injured in such accidents every year, many of whom are stopped because their vehicles are broken down, or because they are emergency responders who are attempting to help someone injured in a crash.
Call Boone & Davis for a Free Case Evaluation
If you or a loved one were injured in a stopped-vehicle crash, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses, even though the expansion of the new Move Over law has not yet gone into effect. To learn more about seeking reimbursement for your accident-related medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle damage, please call Boone & Davis and set up a meeting with one of our skilled Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers today. You can schedule a free case review by calling 954-566-9919 or by completing one of our brief online contact forms. We are standing by and prepared to get started on your case right away.
Sources:
tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2023/06/06/florida-move-over-law-expands-to-include-any-broken-down-vehicles-not-just-emergency-effective-date/70292018007/
iihs.org/news/detail/stopped-vehicle-crashes-result-in-hundreds-of-fatalities-per-year
