AAA East Central is recognizing Saturday as Move-Over Day, reminding motorists to move over and slow down for any vehicle with flashing lights parked on the roadside. An average of 24 emergency responders including tow providers are struck and killed by vehicles while working at the roadside each year – meaning someone in this line of work is killed, on average, every other week.

“The dangers associated with working along the roadside are real, but deaths like these can be avoided if drivers will pay close attention to what is going on around them,” says Mike Hoshaw, vice president of automotive services, AAA East Central. “Slowing down and moving over is not only the law, it can also be the difference between life and death for these workers.”

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that 42% of drivers who do not comply with Move Over laws at all times, 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.

The AAA Foundation finds that –

• Nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23%) are unaware of the Move Over law in the state where they live.

• Among those who are aware of their state’s Move Over laws, about 15% report not understanding the potential consequences for violating the Move Over law at all.

A new Move Over Law went into effect last year in Pennsylvania, creating a new point system and strengthening fines and punishments for those who don’t comply. It imposes fines at $500 for first-time offenders, $1,000 for second-time offenders, and $2,000 for third-time offenders. For third and subsequent offenses, it requires a 90-day license suspension, and sets a $10,000 fine for violators who kill or injure an emergency responder or person in a disabled vehicle.