Florida’s Move Over law is under renewed scrutiny after two serious crashes in Orange County in the span of five days, including one that killed six people and another that left a Florida Highway Patrol trooper seriously injured.
State data shows there have been 170 Move Over crashes in Florida so far this year, with three deaths, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Over the last two years, the state reports 385 Move Over crashes and 24 serious injuries. Last year alone, troopers issued more than 17,300 citations tied to Move Over enforcement.
Both recent Orange County crashes happened along State Road 429.
In one case on Friday, six people were killed when an SUV slammed into a Road Ranger’s truck near Weatherby Road.
The Road Ranger had his lights on and was assisting another car when the SUV struck his vehicle. Witnesses say the car was speeding without headlights. Both cars caught fire.
On Tuesday, an FHP trooper was hit while stationary on the side of the road with emergency lights activated as part of a lane closure operation.
The trooper was airlifted to a hospital.
The driver, a 53-year-old man from Davenport, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Charges are pending.
Retired FHP Chief Joe Lopez said crashes like these are a persistent danger for first responders and roadside workers.
“What goes through my mind when I had to bury a trooper back in 2010, a trooper on side of the road and he was on a traffic stop and he was rear-ended. The vehicle exploded,” Lopez said. “Those are the things that I remember every time I hear, I cringe when something like that happens.”
Lopez said roadside crashes can be as deadly, or deadlier, than other threats law enforcement faces.
“We hear most when troopers are killed or law enforcement is killed by gunfire, but traffic crashes, traffic being out there on the side of the road, is just as dangerous — if not more,” Lopez.
Florida expanded its Move Over law in January 2025 to cover more situations, including any vehicle with hazard lights activated, even drivers changing a tire.
Asked how many drivers are aware of the expansion, Lopez said many are not.
“No, they don’t know, that’s why it’s important to have that public awareness,” Lopez said. “We often find people changing tires on the side of the road.”
“The tire that they’re changing is so close to the roadway, that they’re in the roadway changing the tire,” he said.
[RELATED: Do you have to move over for disabled cars? Here’s what Florida law says]
Under Florida law, drivers must move over a lane when they can safely do so for stopped law enforcement, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, sanitation vehicles and other roadside workers using emergency or hazard lights.
If drivers cannot move over safely, they must slow to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
A violation can mean a fine and points on a driver’s license.
Lopez said lawmakers in Tallahassee should consider stronger consequences.
“Stiffer penalties, yes, that always wakes people up,” he said.
Lopez also pointed to the region’s high number of out-of-state visitors as a factor that can contribute to confusion about Florida’s Move Over requirements.
As of the latest update, the trooper injured Tuesday remained hospitalized.
FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner released a statement on the patrol crash, which reads, “Unfortunately, over the years we have seen far too many law enforcement officer, first responders, Road Rangers, and motorists killed or seriously injured because of preventable actions on our roadways.
We are grateful for the Trooper’s service and are keeping him in our thoughts as he recovers from his injuries. His experience is a powerful reminder of the risks law enforcement and emergency personnel face every day while working to protect our communities. The simple act of moving over gives them the space they need to work safely and significantly increases safety for everyone on Florida’s roads.”