NC 'move over' law expands to roadside work crews

Raleigh, N.C. — Starting Monday, drivers on North Carolina roads must change lanes or slow down to avoid any roadside utility or maintenance crews bearing flashing amber lights, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Violators could face a fine of up to $250.

Under the state's newly expanded "move over" law, drivers must move over one lane when two or more lanes are available in each direction to make way for emergency responders, tow trucks, NCDOT incident management assistance patrols, and now, roadside work crews. On roads with only one traffic lane in each direction, drivers must slow down and be prepared to stop.

The General Assembly passed the initial move-over requirements in 2001 and voted in June to expand them to include any work crew with flashing amber lights.

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Great, now we have to pull over for the porta potty trucks. Brilliant!

RKBA
October 2, 2012 6:18 p.m.

The speed limit laws are working so well.

endlessnameless
October 2, 2012 2:54 p.m.

"I am amazed at all the folks on here bashing a law that is designed to SAVE LIVES!!! Don't want a fine, follow the law and maybe even save a life.

There are very few 'natives' left, but WE aren't the ones causing the driving problems for the most part but the transplants feel so much better if they can blame us."

I'm a native (8th generation) and I oppose this law. Qwerty27807 is right. This law seems designed to simply be another revenue generator. Can't move over, don't slow down ENOUGH according to the completely arbitrary opinion of a man with a badge and a gun and get slapped with a fine that may be a week's salary. The people here who say to simply "obey the law" irritate me to no end. Enablers of fascism. No one in this entire country can even know let alone obey every single law that may apply to them there as so many. In Amerika we live in a prison made out of laws. It's time for a jailbreak.

brentf777
October 2, 2012 1:28 p.m.

the key word(s) here are SAFELY MOVE OVER!!! NOT just move over and to heck w/ whoever might already be in that space. SAFELY!!! Granted that requires a little bit of sense, paying attention to what is IN FRONT of you, not in your lap/mirror/phone, oh and driving within the speed limit. But folks won't do that because it interferes with their busy lives and self inflated egos

Scubagirl
October 1, 2012 6:17 p.m.

Stupid drivers are going to be dangerous irregardless of any particular reason. Paying attention and scanning the road ahead will help. Many times alert drivers will see a problem and react to it long before others see it coming. Not having situational awareness will make people react suddenly without checking for the other traffic.

I don't think this law will be heavily enforced. But it will be there when the occasional poor driver needs a wake up call.

Most trucks moved over long before it became law. For safety, staying next to a truck on a multi-lane road is not a good idea, but for various reasons it's not always possible to do.

Safety is more about common sense and co-operation than laws. The laws are just to make up for the lack of the former.

frosty
October 1, 2012 6:17 p.m.

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NC 'move over' law expands to roadside work crews

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