The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) is running a special emphasis week from Aug. 18 to 24, ticketing anyone who violates the Move Over Law.
The week, carried out in partnership with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA), Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (ODPS), was kicked off at a press conference at the OHP/ OTA building in Stroud on Friday.
“Our purpose is to educate the public… if you see a vehicle on the shoulder, whether that’s a law enforcement vehicle with emergency lights, a wrecker with emergency lights, a Department of Transportation vehicle, a Turnpike Authority vehicle, or even a regular vehicle with flashing amber lights on,” said Lt. Col. Joe Williams of the OHP. “There is a statute that you’re in violation of if you don’t move over on a four-lane road if you’re able to, or at least slow down.”
The other part of that statute is to slow down and proceed with caution until the vehicle is cleared if on a two-lane road, Williams continued.
The Move Over Law was renamed in 2021 to Bernando’s Law in honor of Bernando Martinez, a tow truck worker who died when he was struck by a distracted driver while loading a vehicle on H.E. Bailey Turnpike. In 2023, the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives approved the Bernando-Mills Law, honoring John Mills, another tow truck driver who was killed while working on Highway 69, according to the Oklahoma Senate.
The new law, which went into effect on Nov. 1, 2023, says that if a person is found guilty of endangering an emergency worker, they can face a fine of $1,000 for a first offense, $2,500 for their second offense, $5,000 if they hit and injure an emergency worker, and $10,000 if an emergency worker is killed as a result of endangerment.
“We will not be giving warnings for this. We’re letting everybody know, if you do not move over or slow down for an emergency vehicle or a vehicle with flashing lights on the shoulder, you will receive a citation,” said Trooper Russell Callicoat at the press conference.
Commissioner Tim Tipton from the Department of Public Safety said these were very preventable accidents, often caused by distracted drivers and involving people outside of their vehicles, whether it’s troopers or road workers.
“That’s not survivable to get hit at highway speed by passing motorists,” he said. “You know, it’s our people, our families, that are out there that are doing that work on the side of the road.”
Turnpike Authority Director Joe Echelle echoed the importance of being aware while driving, especially with all the construction underway on Turner Turnpike. He said the OTA has about 200 employees working in maintenance across the state, and they really drivers to move over and slow down in their construction zones.
ODOT director Tim Gatz said they’ve lost 16 workers on or near shoulders.