Saturday, October 17 is National Move Over Day, and AAA is reminding drivers to protect the first responders, roadside workers and stranded motorists who work just feet from fast-moving traffic.

New Jersey’s Move Over Law, expanded in 2024, requires drivers approaching stationary emergency vehicles, service trucks and highway safety vehicles displaying red, blue or amber flashing lights to move over one lane or, if moving over is not safe, to slow down below the posted speed limit. The law also covers people in or near disabled vehicles displaying two of the following: hazard lights, warning signs or flares.

The reminder comes as the days grow shorter and darkness arrives earlier. A recent crash analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that more than 75% of all roadside deaths occur after dark.

The numbers behind the campaign are stark. From 2019 to 2023, more than 2,100 people nationwide were struck and killed while stranded or working on the roadside, and about 300 people are killed each year while leaving, working on or returning to a stopped vehicle along the road, a figure that has risen 25% since 2014. In 2025, AAA responded to more than 30 million roadside events near active traffic, and 15 roadside service providers were killed in Slow Down, Move Over-related incidents. Six of those cases involved hit-and-run drivers, and five involved impaired drivers.

“The roadside is one of the most dangerous places our crews and stranded motorists can be, particularly with vehicles passing by at highway speeds,” said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance. “New Jersey’s Move Over law gives every driver a simple responsibility: move over when it is safe, or slow down and pass with caution. Those few seconds of care can prevent a tragedy and help ensure everyone makes it home safely.”

A new AAA Foundation survey released ahead of the day shows a gap between what drivers say and what they do. More than 90% of drivers reported moving over or slowing down the last time they passed a disabled vehicle, tow truck or police car on the shoulder, but earlier observational research found that only 64% of vehicles actually changed lanes or reduced speed, while 36% did neither. Only 66% of drivers believed their state law required special action near a stopped police car, though 90% said they supported Move Over laws once the laws were explained.

“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.”

AAA urges drivers to stay focused and drive impairment-free, ease off the accelerator as soon as they see flashing lights, hazard lights or a stopped vehicle, and move over when it is safe. Drivers who cannot move over should slow to a safe speed, generally 10 to 20 mph below the posted limit, and pass with caution unless directed otherwise by emergency personnel.