- Wisconsin expands Move Over law to cover disabled vehicles.
- Law applies if hazards, flares, or markers are clearly visible.
- Officials aim to reduce roadside injuries and fatal crashes.
A quiet change in traffic law is picking up speed across the country, and now it’s rolled into Wisconsin. A newly expanded rule builds on existing legislation that requires drivers to slow down and move over when approaching emergency vehicles parked on the roadside.
That courtesy, once reserved for police, paramedics, and fire crews, now extends to nearly anyone pulled over on the shoulder, whether they’re in uniform or just having a rough day with a flat tire.
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Every state in the U.S. has a “slow down, move over” law of one sort or another. Wisconsin passed its version back in 2001, but it was limited at the time.
Motorists only needed to follow that direction for utility teams, first responders, tow trucks, and maintenance vehicles with actively flashing lights. Now, it applies to anybody on the side of the road, so long as one of a few variables applies.
An Expanded Safety Net
For example, the vehicle on the side of the road must have hazard lights flashing, flares, reflective triangles, or people standing outside of the car for the law to be enforced.
The goal is pretty straightforward. Cut down on preventable roadside accidents, which often happen when drivers fail to recognise or react to disabled vehicles until it’s too late.
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Officials highlighted just how dangerous it is to be on the side of the highway, regardless of who you are. The video below, from several years ago, shows a semi-truck driver, a person supposedly very familiar with the road and driving, clipping a police car as it sits idle on the shoulder.
Data suggests that plenty of folks slow down OR move over for stopped vehicles, but very few actually do both. Officials say the change brings Wisconsin in line with a growing number of states updating their Move Over statutes to cover everyday motorists.
In addition to the law itself, Wisconsin officials stressed some practical advice: if you find yourself pulled over, stay inside the vehicle whenever possible, keep your seatbelt fastened, and turn on your hazard lights as soon as you sense trouble.