On Saturday July 1, 2023 the TN Move Over law has been strengthened. In the past as I learned in October 2012, you are to move from one lane to the other lane if there is stopped emergency vehicle on a shoulder or lane. What I learned in 2012 was that if you can not move over (due to another vehicle, in my case a tractor trailer) you must “slow down and show care”. While I disagreed with the Alcoa Police Officer, it was his word to mine that I didn’t slow down and show care. So, there is that.
NOW, the penalties for not moving over for any stationary vehicle on the shoulder with their flashers are have been increased with the passage of The Jabari Bailey Highway Safety Act. The act adds more requirements to Tennessee‘s “Move Over Law” starting on Saturday.
The act states that motorists must change lanes to move away from any vehicle that is stationary on the side of the road with their hazard lights on. The amendment is named after a Memphis teen who was injured while pulled over along the highway. Republican State Senator Becky Duncan Massey of Knoxville was the sponsor of the bill and heard Bailey and his parents give a testimony to the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee.
The amendment also doubles the fines for violating the law:
- $250 for a first offense
- $1,000 for a second offense
- $2,500 for a third or subsequent offense
