Help protect those who serve and protect you.

Law enforcement officers, emergency medical services, fire department personnel, and tow truck operators all have a serious job to do. And they often perform their duties within just a few feet of high-speed traffic. 

When a driver fails to move over for stopped emergency vehicles on the roadside, they put the safety of law enforcement, first responders, service professionals AND the motorists they assist at risk.

To help keep these individuals safe, South Carolina law requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching emergency vehicles.

If you encounter a stopped emergency vehicle on the road, SLOW DOWN and MOVE OVER so these workers — and the people they are helping — can make it safely home to their families. Let's all protect those who protect us.

Move Over Law in South Carolina

South Carolina’s Move Over Law requires drivers take specific actions to ensure the safety of emergency responders, law enforcement, and roadside workers when nearing stopped vehicles with flashing emergency lights. 

These actions are designed to:

• Prevent a collision
• Prevent injuries to other people or property
• Avoid interfering with emergency workers carrying out their official duties

The law states that a driver approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle that is giving a signal by displaying emergency flashing lights shall proceed with caution and significantly reduce the speed of the vehicle. 

Drivers must also yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions.

If changing lanes is impossible or unsafe, the driver must slow down and maintain a safe speed for road conditions. 

An “authorized emergency vehicle” means any ambulance, police, fire, rescue, recovery, or towing vehicle authorized by this State, county, or municipality to respond to a traffic incident. 

Violations of this law are guilty of a misdemeanor and are subject to a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $500. 

You can read the South Carolina Move Over Law in the South Carolina Code of Law Section 56-5-1538.

What to Do When Approaching a Stopped Emergency Vehicle

• Proceed with caution and determine if a lane change is possible.
• Slow down and yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane away from the authorized emergency vehicle, if traffic conditions permit.
• If a lane change is unsafe or impossible*, slow down and proceed with extra caution while maintaining a safe speed for traffic conditions.

*An example of when a lane change is considered unsafe or impossible is when a driver approaches a stopped emergency vehicle on a two-lane road with ongoing traffic.