Bill > S0478

This bill, known as the Move Over Act, requires drivers to take specific actions when approaching certain vehicles stopped on the roadside. It defines a "utility service vehicle" as any vehicle clearly marked as belonging to or contracted by a provider of essential services like electricity, gas, water, or communications. The bill amends existing law to extend the "Move Over" requirement, previously applicable to authorized emergency vehicles, to also include these utility service vehicles when they are performing their duties on the roadside. Specifically, drivers on highways with two or more lanes in the same direction must move to a lane further away from the stopped utility service vehicle if it can be done safely, or slow down significantly if moving lanes is not safe. On two-lane roads, drivers must reduce their speed to 20 miles per hour below the posted limit or to 5 miles per hour if the posted limit is 20 mph or less. The bill also mandates that educational materials for driver's licenses include information about this expanded Move Over Act.