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Georgia’s move over law is designed to protect the lives of many first responders and roadside workers. This rule applies to certain and specifically-defined circumstances.
To put it another way, understanding what Georgia’s move over laws entail will help you avoid getting charged with a violation, alongside the fines and driver license points that come with it.
Equally as important, if you believe that you were mistakenly given a citation, knowing how and when the move over laws apply allows you to form a solid defense in court and increases the odds that a judge will drop the charges against you.
What is the move over law in Georgia?
According to the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS), the state’s move over law says that “motorists traveling in the lane adjacent to the shoulder must move over one lane when emergency and utility vehicles are stopped on the side of the highway and operating in an official capacity.”
That is to say that if you’re driving on the far right or left lane and you see a stopped police car, ambulance, construction truck, or any other vehicle performing emergency or maintenance work, you must switch to another lane when they are on your side of the road.
What type of vehicles are included in the move over law?
Georgia’s move over rules apply to the following vehicles:
- Law enforcement vehicles (the police and state troopers)
- First responders of all types, including fire trucks, ambulances, and emergency medical services (EMS)
- Utility cars
- Department of Transportation (DOT) vehicles
- Highway Emergency Response Operators’ (HERO) cars
- Wreckers taking care of an accident
The move over laws in Georgia require you to move to another lane when you come across any of these vehicles while they’re doing work or flashing their lights.
Why is the move over law so important?
These rules are important because they protect the lives of law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, first responders, and those performing construction or utility work.
To clarify, traffic crashes are the main cause of death for police officers. In fact, it is even ahead of shootings. Similarly, other reports highlight that nearly every type of emergency car (ambulances and firetrucks, for example) got hit when they were parked on one of Georgia’s highways. This includes those that had their emergency lights on.
Therefore, you should move over when you come across one of these vehicles. This isn’t just a legal requirement, but it also protects the lives of first responders and road workers.
What if moving over isn’t possible, safe, or legal?
At times, switching to another lane may be difficult or unsafe, especially when the roads are congested with traffic or the cars in the adjacent lane are going too fast.
In those cases, you should first slow down and drive at a speed that’s below the speed limit when you’re approaching an emergency or utility vehicle that’s flashing its lights. Moreover, you need to be prepared to stop your car if that becomes necessary.
Keep in mind that this is only the case when you can’t switch lanes. Under normal circumstances, the law expects you to move to another lane.
What is the fine for not moving over if possible?
Georgia’s move over rules punish violators who don’t change lanes when it’s possible and safe to do so with a $500 fine. Furthermore, drivers that fail to move over will get 3 points added to their driving record.
To clarify, your license gets suspended in Georgia when you accumulate 15 points within a 2-year period.
Defenses for Not Moving Over
If law enforcement gave you a ticket for violating the move over law, there are several defenses that you can rely on to fight the charge in court.
Firstly, you could argue that moving over wasn’t possible or safe when you received the ticket. As mentioned earlier, the law requires you to slow down and be ready to stop in those cases.
Secondly, a judge is likely to dismiss your ticket when you point out that the emergency or utility vehicle didn’t have it’s lights flashing when you drove by it and didn’t move over. After all, the law does require those cars to turn on their lights.
Fighting a Move Over Ticket in Georgia
If law enforcement charged you with violating Georgia’s move over law, you can count on the WinIt app and our team of experienced traffic attorneys to be on your side.
Already, WinIt processed more than 800K tickets in the Peach State and saved Georgian drivers more than $120 million on insurance increases after a traffic violation. If you are facing a ticket for allegedly breaking the move over law in Georgia, we can certainly help you, too!
Here is how the process works:
- Submit: Firstly, take a picture of your ticket. Don’t have one? No problem. Just use your license plate number and our app will locate the ticket for you!
- Review: Next, upload your evidence and supporting documents on the app, and our experts will review your case.
- Dispute: At this point, you can sit back and relax. WinIt partners with world-class traffic attorneys who will start fighting the reckless driving ticket for you while giving you updates through every step of the way.
- Save: Not only do you enjoy top-level legal services at a particularly low rate, but we don’t even charge you, to begin with, unless your ticket is successfully fought off. Even then, our rate is just 50% of the fine amount.
With WinIt, you can sit back and allow one of our lawyers to handle everything for you. Click here to start the process and fight your move over ticket in court.
