Every day, emergency responders, tow truck operators, road maintenance crews and other roadside workers put their lives at risk while working just feet from passing traffic. Stranded motorists face those same dangers when a breakdown or crash leaves them along the roadside.
National Move Over Day is today and AAA is reminding drivers that slowing down and moving over can save lives. New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety underscores the need for greater awareness and compliance with laws designed to protect those along the roadside.
While more than 90% of drivers reported moving over and/or slowing down the last time they passed a disabled vehicle, tow truck or police car on the shoulder, previous Foundation research found that only 64% of vehicles subject to Slow Down, Move Over laws were actually observed changing lanes and/or reducing speed; 36% did neither.
“Many drivers know slowing down or moving over is the right thing to do,” said Dr. David Yang, President and Executive Director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “But awareness is not enough. When drivers encounter a vehicle stopped along the roadside, they need to respond right away—because failing to slow down or move over can turn a standard stop into a preventable tragedy.”
The dangers are real From 2019 through 2023, more than 2,100 people nationwide were struck and killed while stranded or working along roadways. More than 75% of roadside fatalities occur after dark, according to AAA Foundation research.
In 2025 alone, 15 roadside service providers were killed in Slow Down, Move Over-related incidents. Six of those crashes involved hit-and-run drivers, while five involved impaired drivers.
“The roadside is one of the most dangerous places for emergency responders, service crews and stranded motorists, particularly when traffic is passing at highway speeds,” said Lori Weaver Hawkins, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance. “Slowing down and moving over takes only seconds, but those few seconds can save a life.”
Kentucky law protects stranded motorists, too Initially passed in 2003, Kentucky expanded its Slow Down, Move Over law in 2024 to include disabled vehicles displaying warning signals, such as hazard lights, flares or reflective warning devices.
Under Kentucky law (KRS 189.930), drivers approaching a stationary emergency or public safety vehicle displaying flashing lights, or a disabled vehicle displaying warning signals, must:
• Move over: On roadways with at least two lanes traveling in the same direction, move into a lane away from the stopped vehicle when it is safe to do so.
• Slow down: If changing lanes is unsafe or impossible, or the roadway has fewer than four lanes, reduce speed to a safe level for conditions and proceed with caution.
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