Police agencies across New York plan to step up enforcement of the state's Move Over Law on Saturday, when National Move Over Day calls attention to people stopped or working along roadsides.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles said officers statewide will issue tickets to drivers who violate the law. The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee is providing grants for extra state and local patrols.
New York drivers must use care, slow down and move over when it is safe to do so as they approach any vehicle stopped along a roadway. The law covers disabled private cars as well as emergency vehicles, tow trucks and highway crews. It applies to stopped vehicles on either side of the road, not just the right shoulder.
The requirement began in 2010 for stopped emergency vehicles and was expanded in 2023 to cover all stopped vehicles, the DMV said. The agency reported 27,635 Move Over Law tickets issued in 2025 and 20,964 so far this year.
The safety stakes remain high. The traffic safety committee said 37 people were killed outside disabled vehicles in New York from 2016 through 2020. On roads owned by the state Department of Transportation, 366 work-zone crashes in 2025 caused 58 injuries and two deaths, according to the release.
Drivers who see flashing lights, safety vests or reflectors should check surrounding traffic, slow down and change lanes when safe, the agencies said. If changing lanes is unsafe, drivers should still slow down and proceed with care.
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