Remember, moving over can save lives
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
OREGON – Getting stopped by, or having to slow down for, roadside work zones and emergency vehicles can seem annoying at times, but these precautions are in place for a reason. Every year, several people lose their lives and many more suffer serious injury or major property damage due to roadside and work zone collisions. Saturday, October 21, is National Move Over Day, and the Oregon Department of Transportation would like to remind drivers why they should move over.
According to ODOT, from 2016-2020, Oregon experienced a total of 297 crashes involving vehicles parked on the roadside. These crashes included 7 fatalities, 13 serious injuries and 164 moderate and minor injuries. A further 100 crashes, thankfully, only involved property damage. From 2015-2020, Oregon also experienced 2,774 crashes in work zones, 25 of which were fatal and 114 of which resulted in serious injury. From 2015 to 2021, ODOT vehicles themselves were hit 50 times.
First implemented in 2010 and updated in 2017, ORS 811.147 (aka the move-over law) requires that all drivers move over to a non-adjacent lane or slow to at least five miles per hour below the posted speed limit when they:
“Approach a motor vehicle that is stopped and is displaying required warning lights or hazard lights, or a person is indicating distress by using emergency flares or posting emergency signs.”
Moving over and slowing down isn’t just for the sake of being courteous to road workers and EMS crews. Moving over and slowing down can save lives and failing to do one or the other is illegal under state law.
The entirety of ORS 811.147 can be read at https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_811.147
More details from ODOT on Oregon’s move over law, and similar traffic safety reminders, can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Pages/Enforcement.aspx
