INDIANA— The Indiana State Police (ISP) have joined forces with state police and highway patrol agencies across five neighboring states for a high-visibility enforcement initiative aimed at protecting emergency responders and roadside workers.
The coordinated effort is part of the regional 6-State Trooper Project, a law enforcement partnership comprising state police agencies from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Throughout the weeklong enforcement wave, running from July 19 through July 25, troopers across all six participating states are conducting targeted patrols focusing specifically on violations of “Move Over and Slow Down” laws.
What the Law Requires
Originally enacted in Indiana in 1999 as the first statute of its kind in the nation, the state’s “Move Over” law was created to shield emergency personnel working alongside active traffic corridors. Over the years, Indiana lawmakers have expanded the statute (IC 9-21-8-35) to protect a broader range of roadside vehicles.
Under current Indiana law, drivers approaching stationary vehicles with activated emergency or warning lights must:
- Change Lanes: Shift into an adjacent lane away from the roadside vehicle on multi-lane roadways whenever it is safe to do so.
- Slow Down: If changing lanes is unsafe, impossible due to traffic, or occurring on a two-lane road, drivers must reduce their speed to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and proceed with extreme caution.
Protected Vehicles Include:
- Police cruisers, fire trucks, and ambulances
- Highway maintenance and incident-response vehicles
- Utility service vehicles and tow trucks
- Disabled civilian vehicles displaying flashing hazard lights
High Stakes on the Roadside
Law enforcement officials emphasize that failure to yield to roadside workers poses severe dangers. Across the nation, roadside collisions involving struck emergency vehicles remain a leading cause of line-of-duty injuries and fatalities for law enforcement and first responders.
During the enforcement campaign, ISP troopers have already reported multiple traffic stops and related arrests involving drivers who failed to yield.
The mission during this project is to provide traffic and officer safety through proactive and aggressive enforcement of the move-over law. Moving over isn’t just a courtesy—it’s the law, and it gives the men and women working on our shoulders a chance to go home safely at the end of their shift.
Motorists who observe high-risk driving behavior or suspect impaired drivers are encouraged to call 911 or contact the Indiana State Police directly.
