Image courtesy of the Jackson Police Department
The Jackson Police Department wanted to remind drivers that if you hear sirens or see the lights of an emergency vehicle, you MUST pull over.
If you are unable to move to the next lane safely, you must slow down to allow for safe passage of the emergency vehicle. It is not just the law; it is the right thing to do, the department said.
According to the TN Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the following are facts about the Move Over Law:
- The “Move Over Law,” which passed in 2006, is a part of the [State Law: Move Over for Stopped Emergency Vehicles] “Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicles Law” (T.C.A. 55-8-132) and requires motorists to move over into the adjacent lane of traffic, when safe to do so, or alternatively to slow down for emergency vehicles. In 2011, the law was expanded to include utility service equipment to the list of vehicles for which motorists are required to either slow down or move over.
- Tennessee was the 30th state to establish a move over law which creates a safety zone to protect police, firefighters, other emergency personnel, and utility workers.
- The penalty for violating the “Move Over Law” in Tennessee is a maximum fine of up to $500 and possibly up to 30 days in jail.
- Operation of vehicles and streetcars on approach of authorized emergency vehicles.
- The “Move Over” campaign was created to raise awareness of the move over law, and protect state troopers and others whose workplace is often the side of a busy highway.
