What All Drivers Need to Know about Wisconsin’s Move Over Law

One of the most dangerous places to be is on the side of a busy road, highway, or interstate—especially if you need to get out of your vehicle for any reason. But many occupations require that workers do just that on a daily basis. Law enforcement officers, emergency responders, and road maintenance workers are all tasked with working close to traffic, often outside of their vehicles.

In response to the dangers that they face—and the high number of serious injuries and deaths they’ve suffered—Wisconsin has a “Move Over Law” that requires all drivers to change lanes when approaching stopped vehicles on the shoulder of the road.

All 50 states have similar laws, and Wisconsin’s version applies to law enforcement vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks, tow trucks, utility vehicles, and highway maintenance vehicles that are stopped on the shoulder with their warning lights activated and flashing.

When approaching a stopped emergency vehicle, you have two options depending on what’s safest:

• You can change lanes on a highway or interstate to put more space between your vehicle and the stopped vehicle.
• If there are no additional lanes, or traffic is too dense to safely change lanes, you can slow down while approaching the stopped emergency vehicle.

Failure to obey this law can result in three points on your driver’s license and a $249 fine. And if violation of the law also results in a crash, your driver’s license may be suspended.

It’s important to be aware of and to always follow all traffic laws, including the Move Over Law. But not all drivers are safety-conscious, and their negligence causes serious crashes. When that happens, our Appleton auto accident lawyers are here to help.

Contact Brian Hodgkiss Injury Lawyers today if you or someone you love was hurt in a crash that wasn’t your fault.