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AAA urges passage of Senate Bill 16 to extend "move over" protections to disabled vehicles
Summary
A representative of AAA Ohio supported Senate Bill 16, which would require drivers to slow down or change lanes when passing disabled vehicles on Ohio highways; proponents cited estimated fatalities and said the change would close a gap in current law.
Mike Belcourt, manager of driver education and operations for AAA Club Alliance, testified in support of Senate Bill 16 at its second hearing, urging the committee to extend "move over" protections to stranded motorists and disabled vehicles.
Belcourt described a May incident near Ohio in which a motorist changing a flat on the shoulder of State Route 72 was fatally struck after another driver failed to yield. He said Ohio's current "move over" law covers emergency vehicles, tow trucks and maintenance vehicles but does not explicitly protect occupants of disabled vehicles.
Under Senate Bill 16, drivers on two-lane highways would be required to proceed with caution and slow down when passing a disabled vehicle; on multi-lane highways the bill would require drivers, if possible, to move to an adjacent lane or slow down when passing a disabled vehicle. Belcourt defined a disabled vehicle as one stopped on the side of the road displaying hazards or warning signals such as cones or reflective triangles.
Belcourt told the panel that Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Transportation estimates indicate approximately 148 fatalities related to disabled vehicles between 2018 and 2023 (about 24 per year on average), a figure he said is based on pedestrian fatalities on highways and freeways linked to disabled vehicles. He recommended passage to close the statutory gap and protect stranded motorists.
The committee concluded the second hearing; no committee vote was recorded at the meeting.
