ATLANTA — Lawmakers are considering expanding Georgia’s “move over” law to include stranded motorists.
The law was originally designed to protect first responders like fire and police. Over the years, Legislators have added tow truck drivers and utility vehicles to a law that requires drivers to move over a lane or, at the very least, slow down below the posted speed limit when passing workers along Georgia highways.
House Bill 878 would add stranded motorists who are “visibly present outside" a stationary vehicle” or “flashing their hazard lights” while waiting for help along Georgia roads.
“People will not move over,” said Rep. John Corbett of Lowndes County, one of the legislation's sponsors. Somebody’s trying to change a tire on the side of the road, and it’s extremely dangerous.”
Along a stretch of Highway 78 in Dekalb County, one stranded motorist who asked not to be identified waited for a tow truck while watching traffic zip past within inches of his disabled van.
They’re just blowing by me,” he said. “Feels like no one cares.”
According to a 2021 study from AAA, nearly 300 people die each year while stranded along the nation’s highways. AAA encourages all states to add disabled vehicles to their “move over” laws.
If House Bill 878 passes through the legislature, the law would require drivers to move over for mail trucks.
The proposal started as two different bills that both passed the Georgia House. After the Senate combined them into one bill, it would have to pass the full Senate and the House again before it could become law.