NEW JERSEY – To enhance roadside safety and reduce crashes with stranded or disabled automobiles, the Senate Transportation Committee Monday advanced legislation sponsored by Senator Paul Moriarty that would improve New Jersey’s current “Move Over” law to apply to all stopped vehicles.
Under the bill, S-4000, drivers would have to approach any stopped vehicle with due caution, change lanes if possible, and slow to a speed under the posted speed limit, treating it like they were stopping. The bill is comparable to sanctions in the existing code for failure to approach specific stopped vehicles properly such as employing hazard lights, road flares, reflective triangles, or similar warning devices including a fine of at least $100 but not exceeding $500 for offending and two motor vehicle penalty points for individuals convicted of three or more offenses within 12 months.
“Drivers need to understand that every roadside stop, regardless of the vehicle, poses a threat,” said Senator Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden/Atlantic). “This bill will provide an even standard for safety on behalf of drivers, passengers, and employees by simply making it apparent that the ‘Move Over’ law is not about who’s being stopped but about behavior.”
Under the bill, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety would be required to update the current state public information campaign. The campaign would inform the public about the enhanced requirements and promote awareness of the risks of not approaching stopped vehicles safely.
A 2021 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study concluded that nationwide, hundreds of people are killed and thousands injured each year in collisions with disabled or stopped vehicles. The accidents cost an estimated $8.8 billion annually in medical care, lost work, and other expenses.
