Wyoming Highway Patrol encourages motorists to move over

With 12 patrol cars rusting in a vehicle graveyard, the Wyoming Highway Patrol is launching a campaign to encourage travelers to move over when they see emergency vehicles. Since 2008, Wyoming has recorded 1,970 crashes that involved first-responder or roadway service vehicles, including police, fire, ambulance, tow trucks, and snow plows. 12 Highway Patrol vehicles were struck while stopped on the roadside since 2016. That does not include vehicles that were intentionally struck in events like vehicle pursuits. 7 cars were struck in 2016 and there have been 5 so far this year. Wyoming law requires all drivers moving in the same lane of traffic to merge into the farthest lane away from stopped emergency vehicles and, on two lane roads, to slow to at least 20 miles per hour less than the posted limit. Violation of the law can result in a $220 citation.