Starting in October, drivers in the state need to be ready to move over more often.
The Move Over Law, which was created in 2010to protect emergency officials, states drivers must change lanes when they see the officials parked on the side of the road. On Wednesday, officials are announcing an expansion of the law to protect more people who need to stop on the side of the road.
Starting October 1, vehicles that are now covered include MDOT SHA bucket and dump trucks, AAA battery trucks, utility trucks, and waste and recycling vehicles. Before drivers only had to move over for law enforcement officers, firefighters, ambulances, utility workers, and in some cases, tow-truck drivers.
Officials say even though this law is already in place, emergency officials and roadside service personnel are still facing dangerous conditions daily because people are not moving over.
According to a national poll by Mason Dixon Polling & Research, sponsored by the National Safety Commission, 71 percent of Americans have not heard of move-over laws.
