To protect law enforcement officers, tow truck operators, emergency responders, road maintenance workers and others who work on the side of roadways, Wisconsin has a Move Over Law. The law requires drivers to shift lanes if possible or slow down in order to create a safety zone for a law enforcement vehicle, ambulance, fire truck, tow truck or highway maintenance vehicle that is stopped or parked on the side of a road with its warning lights flashing.

"To create a safety zone on interstate highways and other divided roads with multiple directional lanes, you must move over to vacate the lane closest to the law enforcement or other emergency vehicle if you can safely switch lanes," says Wisconsin State Patrol Captain Nick Scorcio of the Northeast Region, Fond du Lac Post. "If the road has a single directional lane or you can't safely move over because of traffic, you must reduce your speed until safely past the vehicle."

Violating the Move Over Law can be expensive as well as dangerous. A citation costs $263.50 with three demerit points added to your license.

"When drivers disregard the Move Over Law, they are putting lives at risk.
Failure of motorists to create a safety zone by moving over or slowing down is one of the major reasons that motor vehicle crashes kill more law enforcement officers on duty than any other cause," says Captain Scorcio. "Tow truck operators, highway maintenance workers and emergency responders also are killed and injured when drivers don't move over or slow down.

"By obeying the Move Over Law, drivers can protect themselves, their passengers, our officers and others who work on highways from needless injuries and deaths."

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