SIOUX FALLS With National Move Over Day taking place on Oct. 19, AAA is underscoring the need for drivers to slow down and “move over,” when approaching first responders, emergency roadside workers and motorists dealing with disabled vehicles at the roadside at all hours, but especially as the days grow shorter.
Recent statistics indicate that more than 75% of all roadside deaths, where the victim was outside of a disabled vehicle, occurred after dark. According to data analyzed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 2,000 people were killed outside of the vehicle, in roadside crashes over the five-year period from 2017-21, and nearly 1,500 of those deaths occurred after dark.
With the darkest days of the year ahead, this is exceptionally troubling, said Shawn Steward, AAA South Dakota spokesman. Move Over laws are intended to ensure that first responders working at the roadside can provide emergency services to those in need without risk to themselves or those they are trying to help. We are asking everyone to adjust their driving behaviors accordingly.
Move Over laws exist in all 50 states. Despite the nationwide presence of Move Over laws, data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that among drivers who do not comply with Move Over laws at all times:
- Forty-two percent thought this behavior was somewhat or not dangerous at all to roadside emergency workers. This demonstrates that drivers may not realize how risky it is for those working or stranded along highways and roads close to moving traffic.
- Nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23%) are unaware of the Move Over law in the state where they live.
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