Traffic moves along Interstate 64 on May 23, 2023, in Ona, Cabell County.Â
HD Media file photo
An expanded "move over" law passed by the West Virginia Legislature goes into effect Friday.
Although West Virginia has had a "move over" law since 2003, the previous law required motorists to move over for first responders. The new law, House Bill 2344, expands the requirements.
Starting Friday, all motorists will be required to move over a lane when approaching first responders, maintenance vehicles or disabled vehicles with warning signals, unless they are unable to move over a lane or are on a highway with fewer than four lanes, in which case they will be required to slow down.
“AAA applauds the West Virginia Legislature for their effort in passing this critical piece of legislation to protect motorists at the roadside and we thank Governor [Patrick] Morrisey for signing the measure into law,†Lori Weaver Hawkins, public affairs manager for AAA Blue Grass, said in a news release.
According to AAA in its analysis of data received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,874 people had been struck by a vehicle while outside of a disabled vehicle in the U.S. between 2017 and 2021.
Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne, chairman of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in a statement to HD Media that he was proud to have overseen the bill’s passage.
“I was delighted to see HB 2344 make it all the way through the legislative process,†Maynard said. “I’m chairman of the Senate transportation infrastructure committee, I was approached by a gentleman during the session that urged the importance of this bill. He represents waste haulers, and I took for granted that was who would benefit from the bill.â€
Maynard said he’d been aware of incidents caused by motorists failing to move over throughout the course of his time in the towing business.
“Little did I know AAA was a big advocate for this bill. I actually own and operate a AAA roadside assistance business here in western West Virginia and eastern Kentucky,†Maynard said. “I’ve been around the business since I was 11 years old when my parents first started in the towing business in 1983. Over the years, I’ve heard of so many deaths of tow truck drivers attributed to highway accidents from passersby not moving over.â€
Maynard said he was not contacted by AAA about the bill during the legislative process.
“I was never contacted by AAA about the importance of this bill, but I’m glad I wasn’t. I ran it in committee based on its own merits, never realizing that it could save my life or one of my drivers, let alone all of the other hundreds of tow truck operators across the state of West Virginia.â€
