Blogs

Virginia "Move Over" Law is a Trap for Motorists

Last month, the Virginia Lawyers Weekly had an article pointing out a trap for highway motorists in Virginia.  The18 signs along Virginia highways put up by the Virginia Department of Transportation tell motorists that they must move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles.

Unfortunately for those drivers who follow those directions and slow down (but don't change lanes) when going by stopped emergency vehicles, that's not what the law is.  Virginia State Police recently began enforcing the law that took effect on July 1 and have been ticketing motorists who believe they are doing what they are supposed to by slowing down.

Violation of Virginia Code Section 46.2-921.1 carries a possible 12-month jail sentence and a fine of $2,500.

I don' t know what judges are doing about such charges, but it doesn't seem fair to me that drivers who see the signs alerting them to such a law and then do what they think they're supposed to do are being charged with violation of the statute, incurring attorney expenses and losing time from work.