Law enforcement and ITD issue reminder for drivers to be safe on the roads

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- Many states nationwide have 'Move Over Laws that mean when the emergency lights flash, drivers need to slow down and either move over into a new lane or pull over.

Despite this, not many people realize what the law actually means.

"23% of Americans didn't even know a law existed and 30% didn't know how it works," said Matthew Conde the Public and Government Affairs Director for AAA Idaho.

The law ensures the safety of first responders, and tow truck drivers when on the scene of an accident or a broken-down car.

"We learned that 60% of them had experienced a near-miss or a passing vehicle, had almost hit them and 15% had been hit. And so when you take those numbers and combine them with the fact that we lose a tow truck driver from being struck and killed at the roadside every other week, we're talking about a fairly big problem that we need to put as many eyes on as possible to try to protect these workers," Conde said.

Conde encouraged drivers to remain vigilant and listen for the sights and sounds of emergency vehicles.

"We obviously have very bright equipment out there. We want to be seen," Conde said.

Conde added that while first responders and tow truck drivers are doing everything they can to be safe it's more often than not the actions of others that put them in danger. And he says for those that don't follow the move-over law.

"There are some people taking some real chances with other people's lives. And obviously, we try to personalize this and help people understand this is individuals and families and quality of life. Even if people survived one of these incidents, it can affect people's lives forever," Conde said.

The Idaho Mover Over Law first came into place about 2005 and tow trucks and other emergency vehicles besides those of first responders came into effect in 2017.