Every Vehicle, Every Time. 

Arizona's "Move Over" law requires motorists to move over one lane—or slow down if it is not safe to change lanes—when driving by any vehicle with flashing lights pulled to the side of a road or highway.

Know the Law

Move Over, Arizona Every Vehicle, Every Time.

Arizona's "Move Over" law requires motorists to move over one lane — or slow down if it is not safe to change lanes — when driving by any vehicle with flashing lights pulled to the side of a road or highway.

Arizona's "Move Over" law applies to all vehicles with flashing lights pulled over on any freeway, multilane highway or city road or street. It aims to protect everyone who uses our roads and highways and everyone who works on or next to them.

See: Arizona Revised Statute 28-775 (e)

 

Move Over or slow down for:

  • Stranded Motorists
  • Road and Highway Workers
  • Roadside-Assistance Providers
  • Emergency Responders
  • Law Enforcement Officers

Frequently Asked Questions

Arizona's Move Over law is a measure designed to protect the lives of everyone who uses our roadways. The law requires all drivers to move over one lane to create a safe margin of space when passing by any vehicle with flashing lights on the side of the road.

This law took effect in 2005 to reduce injuries and fatalities to law-enforcement officers and emergency responders assisting the public. It was enhanced in July 2011 to protect everyone, including stranded motorists, tow truck drivers, roadside-assistance providers and roadwork and maintenance crews, as well as emergency responders and law enforcement officers.

The law recognizes that sometimes it is not safe or possible to move over because of traffic conditions or because a second lane does not exist. In those situations, slow down and proceed with caution. Watch for people or objects that could enter your travel lane, and be prepared to stop.

Yielding the right of way to an emergency responder requires you as a driver to pull to the right-hand side of the road and stop when a police or other law-enforcement officer, fire truck, ambulance or other emergency vehicle approaches using a siren, lights or other warning devices. You must wait until the emergency responder(s) has passed by before you can resume driving.

Everyone! Although emergency responders, tow-truck drivers, roadside-assistance providers and road crews are most frequently at-risk, any driver can encounter a situation where he or she must pull over to the side of the roadway. The law covers every vehicle pulled over with flashing lights. Remember: Every vehicle, every time.

Across the nation, hundreds of people are killed or injured every year when they're struck by a vehicle after pulling over to the side of the road or highway. On average, these "struck-by" crashes kill one tow-truck driver every six days; 23 highway workers and one law-enforcement officer every month; and five firefighters every year. Tragically, stranded motorists are also struck and killed.

Workers
Firefighters
TowTruckDrivers

Yes. Failure to comply with the law is a moving violation. Fines vary by jurisdiction but can range from $150 to $650.

Arizona's Move Over law applies to all public roads and highways statewide, including local roads and surface streets, interstates, parkways and state highways. It can be enforced by any law-enforcement officer, including local police, county sheriff's deputies and Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers.

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Read More about the Move-Over Law on the ADOT Blog

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