The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), state officials, and first responders across the state recognize January as Move Over, Florida Month to increase awareness of the need to move over a lane when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road. On January 1, 2024, a new Florida law went into effect, expanding the state’s Move Over Law, providing clearer guidelines for drivers to observe. The expansion adds disabled vehicles to the list of vehicles that drivers are required to move over for when approached on the roadway.

Previously, the law required motorists to move over a lane, when it was safe to do so, for stopped law enforcement, emergency responders, sanitation vehicles, and utility vehicles with displayed warning lights.

In 2023, there were 165 statewide crashes due to failure to move over. These crashes resulted in one death and nine serious injuries. Such crashes and losses of life could have been avoided had the drivers who caused them properly adhered to Florida’s Move Over Law. According to the FLHSMV, the state saw nearly 13,000 motorists cited for violating Florida’s Move Over Law in 2023. Violations will result in a fine, fees, and points on a motorist’s driving record.

If a driver cannot safely move over due to traffic — or if they are traveling on a two-lane road — they are required to slow down to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit when the speed limit is 25 mph or greater, or travel at 5 mph when the posted speed limit is 20 mph or less.

Failing to move over or slow down puts drivers and their passengers at risk and jeopardizes the safety of other motorists, first responders, and roadside workers. To learn more about Florida’s Move Over Law, visit flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/move-over/

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