“Move Over” law to include NDOT road maintenance/construction vehicles

Courtesy NDOT

Current Nevada law (NRS 484B.607, originally added to NRS in 2003) requires drivers to slow down, proceed with caution, and if possible, move to the far lane when passing an official emergency response vehicle(s) pulled over on the side of the road with amber lights flashing.

The updated law requires drivers to also do the same for Nevada Department of Transportation vehicles which are stopped on the side of the road with their flashing amber or non-flashing blue lights on.

Such lights are often used on NDOT vehicles to warn drivers of an immediate traffic hazard, as well as when employees are constructing, maintaining or repairing highways.

NDOT Roadway Maintenance/Construction

NDOT has more than 600 vehicles and approximately 2,000 pieces of heavy equipment such as snow plows.

NDOT has approximately 850 roadway maintenance and 350 construction administration professionals responsible for maintenance and construction improvements on more than 5,000 miles of state roadway.

NDOT maintenance professionals perform as many as 100 different roadway maintenance tasks, from resurfacing state roads to removing snow. They are often some of the very first on scene to assist drivers and emergency responders when there is a roadway incident.

In total, 24 NDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty since 1948. The most recent NDOT employee to die in the line of duty was Ron Raiche, Jr., who was struck and killed by an inattentive driver on March 30, 2015 while repairing roadway cracking on Interstate 80 near Battle Mountain.

The law also includes NDOT’s approximately 10 Freeway Service Patrol vehicles which help keeping traffic moving smoothly in Reno and Las Vegas.

Specifics of the Law

The updated law becomes effective July 1, 2017.

Drivers found guilty of violating the law can be charged with a misdemeanor.

Many states, including California, Utah, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and Wisconsin currently have “move over” laws which include state department of transportation maintenance vehicles.

“Each and every NDOT employee works to keep our roads mobile and safe,” NDOT Director Rudy Malfabon said. “This law will in turn give our NDOT employees an extra measure of roadway safety. Earlier in my NDOT career, I worked on our road construction crews. Now, as NDOT director, I observe the daily efforts of our dedicated NDOT employees that keep our roadsides safe and clear.  This law will help keep our state road maintenance and construction crews, as well as drivers, that much safer.”