Changes coming to Kentucky’s ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ law: What you can expect on the highways

FRANKFORT, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — An expansion of Kentucky’s highway safety law to reduce highway accidents will be implemented on July 15.

According to a news release from the Bluegrass chapter of the American Automobile Association (AAA), crash data from the Kentucky State Police showed that from June 1, 2019, to June 1, 2024, as many as 16 people were killed in crashes while changing tires “or performing other work” on cars.

The expansion to Kentucky’s “Slow Down, Move Over” law was signed by Gov. Andy Beshear in April and is expected to lessen the number of accidents motorists can encounter on the interstate.

RELATED:

“Expanding Kentucky’s ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ law to encompass all vehicles supports Team Kentucky’s mission to provide safe highways for all road users,” Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said in a news release on Wednesday.

According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC), the expansion will require drivers approaching any disabled vehicle with its emergency flashers or any type of warning signal to:

• Move over a lane, away from the disabled vehicle, if it is safe to do so

or

• Slow down if drivers are unable to change lanes or driving on a roadway of less than 4 lanes

Lori Weaver Hawkins, public affairs manager for the Bluegrass AAA, applauded the expansion to include all disabled vehicles.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS

• Kentucky waterfall honored with Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for 2024
• Are there ‘no-kill’ animal shelters in Kentucky?
• When does school start in central Kentucky?

“The side of the road is an extremely dangerous place, with vehicles passing by at high rates of speed. As a strong traffic safety advocate, AAA is pleased to see this protection extended to motorists in disabled vehicles,” Hawkins said.

KTC said while each state has “some form of ‘Move Over’ law, drivers “routinely indicate when surveyed that they are either unaware of these laws or are uncertain which groups or types of vehicles apply,” and that AAA was pivotal in formulating the expansions to the “Slow Down, Move Over” law and similar policies nationwide.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.