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The new requirement says drivers must safely move into another lane when approaching a disabled vehicle using flashing hazard lights, road flares, or reflective triangles. Gov. Murphy signed the bill into law on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
If oncoming drivers can't safely move into another lane, they must slow down below the speed limit and be prepared to stop. The new law adds to the existing requirement to move over or slow down for emergency crews, tow trucks, and highway maintenance vehicles parked on roadsides. The fine for violating the "move over" law remains between $100 and $500.
AAA Northeast said it supports expanding New Jersey's "move over" law.
"The side of a highway is an extremely dangerous place with vehicles passing by at high rates of speed," said Lauren Paterno, who's a senior government affairs advisor for AAA Northeast. "It’s profoundly tragic that we lose first responders when they are helping motorists at the roadside. Sadly, there are numerous examples of disabled motorists being struck and killed as well."
According to AAA's analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 1,874 Americans were killed while outside of a disabled vehicle between 2017 and 2021. The NHTSA figures also said 41 of those deaths were in New Jersey.
Twenty other states also have "move over" laws for all disabled vehicles, including New York, Delaware, Connecticut, and Maryland.
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