MOVE OVER LAW CONFUSION IN INDIANA
Indiana, like the majority of states, has a "move over law." The law means drivers are required to move over or slow down for emergency vehicles. A new survey shows most drivers could be putting officers and highway workers at risk because they don't know the law exists.
The Hutt family recently helped INDOT unveil new signs that will be posted in work zones, a reminder to drivers the punishment for speeding in those zones has increased to a maximum $1000 fine or eight years behind bars. Last April, the family lost a loved one. Chris Hutt was killed while doing construction work on I-465.
According to Indiana's law, drivers in the state should change lanes or slow down 20 miles per hour for officers and construction workers.
"My thought is, we have to understand it's partly human nature, and partly, perhaps, we need to do a better job getting the word out," said Gil Viets, INDOT Chief of Staff.
Viets is surprised by the survey that shows while 80-percent of states have a move over law, 71-percent of drivers have not heard of it.
"I know people have shortages of time and they have a lot of technology they can use in the car, but when you're driving a car, your first responsibility is to the safety of people who are around that car," said Viets.
State Police say the number of tickets written in the Super 70 zone show many drivers, whether they know or not, are not slowing down in construction zones.
"The State Police has written 15,550 tickets. That's a lot of tickets, and that means there are a lot of people that don't have a caring bone in their body about those highway workers," said Sgt. Ray Poole, ISP.
"Now with these stiffer penalties and better signage, I think people will start to realize and understand the dangers that are out there," said Matt Hutt. The National Safety Commission is launching a public education campaign to get the word out.
The Move Over Law states the following:
Upon approaching a stationary recovery vehicle or a stationary highway maintenance vehicle, when the vehicle is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing amber lights, a person who drives an approaching vehicle shall:
(1) proceeding with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the recovery vehicle or highway maintenance vehicle, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least four (4) lanes with not less than two (2) lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle; or
(2) proceeding with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for road conditions, if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe.