Nevada responders urge motorists to slow down, move over for roadway incidents
Following three Nevada Department of Transportation employees recently being struck while working on the roadside, NDOT and traffic incident responders remind motorists that Nevada’s “Move Over” law requires drivers to slow down and move over one lane when passing road work vehicles.
Nevada’s “Move Over” law requires drivers to slow down, proceed with caution, and if safe to do so, move over one lane when passing a roadway incident. This includes passing the following vehicle(s) pulled over on the side of the road with flashing amber or non-flashing blue lights on:
— Emergency response/law enforcement vehicles
— Nevada Department of Transportation or official city/county vehicles using flashing amber warning lights
— Freeway Service Patrol
— Tow and utility vehicles
— Any traffic incident including stalled vehicle or debris on the roadway
Drivers found guilty of violating the law can be charged with a misdemeanor.
On June 7, three Nevada Department of Transportation survey employees were struck and injured by a passing motorist on U.S. 395 near Topsy Lane in Carson City while conducting road survey work for future highway resurfacing.
Two of the NDOT staff members were reviewing work plans on the roadway shoulder when struck, while another team member was struck while inside a work vehicle. The NDOT team members were taken by emergency services to an area hospital in stable condition.
Previous similar incidents have had deadly consequences. In 2015, Nevada Department of Transportation maintenance employee Ron Raiche, Jr. was struck and killed by a semi-truck while making repairs to Interstate 80 west of Battle Mountain. He is the 25th department employee since 1948 to tragically lose their life in the line of service.
KEEPING ALL ROAD WORKERS SAFE
Over and above Nevada’s law enforcement, fire and first responders, the following road workers are included in Nevada’s move over law:
ROAD WORK: NDOT has approximately 850 roadway maintenance and 350 construction administration professionals responsible for maintenance and construction of more than 5,000 miles of state roadway. NDOT maintenance professionals perform more than 75 different road maintenance tasks, from resurfacing state roads to removing snow.
FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL: NDOT’s Freeway Service Patrol vehicles patrol fixed freeway routes during peak travel hours to provide traffic control and safety at incident scenes, including crash-related lane closures. The patrol also helps keep the freeway clear by assisting motorists to remove stalled vehicles, in addition to providing basic first aid, extinguishing minor vehicle fires, removing potentially dangerous roadside debris and more.
TOW/UTILITY TRUCKS: Similarly, Nevada tow and utility providers routinely work on the road to assist stranded motorists and repair and improve vital utilities.
Nationally, 65 first responders were struck and killed on the roadside in 2021, according to the Emergency Responder Safety Institute.
Drivers should always give full attention to the road, follow all road work zone signs and speed limits, and keep a safe distance from road workers, traffic barriers, construction equipment, and other vehicles.
Additional state highway information is available at dot.nv.gov or by calling (775) 888-7000. Also follow @NevadaDOTReno on Twitter for traffic and project updates in northern Nevada, and @nevadadot on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates from across the state.