The North Carolina Move Over Law

Slow down and move over when you see stopped electric utility vehicles.

When the power goes out, so do Halifax EMC’s line crews. Lineworkers are the first to respond after an outage occurs, and they work tirelessly to restore power to the communities we serve.

If you’re traveling and see one of our crews on the side of the road, we kindly ask that you move over if possible and give them a little extra space to work. We deeply care about the safety of all, and this extra precaution ensures just that.

North Carolina’s Move Over law, G.S. 20-157 (f), protects law enforcement officers as well as emergency and utility workers stopped alongside our highways.

Motorists must pull into a lane that is not the lane nearest the parked or standing authorized emergency vehicle or public service vehicle and continue traveling in that lane until safely clear of the authorized emergency vehicle. This applies when the roadway has at least two lanes for traffic proceeding in the direction of the approaching vehicle and if the approaching vehicle may change lanes safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic.

If the roadway has only one lane for traffic proceeding in the direction of the approaching vehicle, then you must slow the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for traffic conditions and be prepared to stop until completely past the authorized emergency vehicle or public service vehicle. “Public service vehicle” means a vehicle that:

• is being used to assist motorists or law enforcement officers with wrecked
  or disabled vehicles,
• is being used to install, maintain, or restore utility service, including electric, cable, telephone, communications, and gas,
• is being used in the collection of refuse, solid waste, or recycling, or is a highway maintenance vehicle owned and operated by or contracted by the State or a local government. The vehicle must be operating an amber-colored flashing light. A violation of the move over law will result in a mandatory fine of $250 plus court costs.

Utility crews aren’t the only ones who could use the extra space. Emergency responders, such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians, often find themselves responding to emergency situations near busy roadways.

We ask that you follow the same procedures mentioned above to help keep these crews safe. There’s plenty of room for all. Let’s work together to keep everyone safe on our local roadways.