Crime & Safety

Maryland Officials Plan Move Over Law Crackdown

Police will be on the lookout for violators along a major Maryland highway this week.

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Elizabeth Janney, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

Many drivers have not gotten the message about providing a safe distance between their vehicles and emergency personnel since Maryland's "Move Over" law took effect in in 2010, so police are following up.

The Maryland Transportation Authority said its officers and Maryland State Police will be on the lookout for violators of the Move Over law Wednesday during a targeted enforcement initiative.

The Move Over law requires drivers approaching an emergency vehicle with visual signals activated to do the following:

  • Move into a lane not immediately adjacent to the emergency vehicle.
  • Slow down if it is not possible to move.
Violations of this law resulted in the death of a volunteer firefighter in Cecil County last October. That same month, a Maryland state trooper was injured during a traffic stop in Anne Arundel County and another trooper was hit on a traffic stop along Interstate 695 in Baltimore County due to violations of the law.

This week's enforcement operation will encompass the entirety of Interstate 95 in Maryland, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority, with Move Over patrols in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Related:
Fire Captain Dies After Being Hit at Cecil County Crash Scene
Multiple Move Over Violations Recorded in 2013
Injured State Trooper Received Well Wishes from People She Ticketed

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