Changes to Tennessee’s “Move Over Law” will go into effect Saturday, aiming to protect all motorists who are stranded on the side of the road.
Also known as the Jabari Bailey Highway Safety Act, the legislation requires drivers to switch lanes to move away from any vehicle that is parked on the side of the road with safety lights on.
Previously, the law only applied to emergency vehicles that were on the side of the road; the new law will work to protect motorists as well as road crews working near traffic.
“This increases it to any vehicle, that if they’re on the side of the road and their flashers have to be on, it is the responsibility of the motorist to move over, or if there is no lane to move over, either there’s too much traffic or they’re on a two-lane road and there’s no lane to move to, then they’re supposed to slow down,” said State Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville-District 6).
