COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is joining forces with other members of the 6-State Trooper Project to focus on drivers who don’t move over from the lane next to the shoulder during traffic stops or breakdown events.
The initiative began on Sunday, July 16, and runs through Saturday, July 22, according to a news release.
The high-visibility enforcement initiative includes the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the West Virginia State Police, as well as OSHP.
Since 2018, OSHP cruisers were struck in 61 crashes that were related to drivers not properly moving over, the news release stated.
During that same time period, the patrol issued 26,739 violation citations related to not moving over, OSHP officials noted. These crashes resulted in the deaths of two civilians and 56 injuries to officers and civilians.
In 2022, there were only 11 such crashes, 38% fewer than in 2021.
“Too many times our troopers have seen the aftermath or been involved in a crash where the driver failed to move over,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, OSHP superintendent. “Moving over protects the lives of everyone who works or uses our freeways.”
Ohio law requires all drivers to move over to an adjacent lane when approaching any vehicle with flashing or rotating lights parked on the roadside. If moving over is not possible due to traffic or weather conditions, or because a second lane does not exist, motorists should slow down and proceed with caution. A version of the move over law exists in all 50 states.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
More often than not other vehicles will block you from transitioning over ,be it another car or truck. Now ,that is difficult to catch at highway speed ,maybe they shouold be ticketed.