Drivers on Virginia’s roads may soon see more vehicle mounted signs warning them to Slow Down and Move Over as they pass a roadside scene. AAA proposed and supported House Bill 2074 (McClure), that unanimously passed both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate before being signed into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
“AAA applauds the members of the General Assembly and Governor Glenn Youngkin for helping to make Virginia’s roads safer,” says Morgan Dean, Public and Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “These mobile, changeable message signs will allow AAA and others who work along the roadside to better encourage drivers to give them the space they need to be safe.”
Data analyzed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that nearly 2,000 people were killed outside of a vehicle in roadside crashes in the United States over the 5-year period from 2017 to 2021. On average, 24 emergency responders, including tow providers, are struck and killed while working at the roadside each year. That means someone in this line of work is killed, on average, every other week.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study found that when Variable Message Signs (VMS) were active along a roadway:
- Drivers were more likely to move over and slow down than in the cases when VMS was not active.
- The odds of a vehicle moving over were 95% higher when VMS is used.
- Active VMS had a greater impact on speed reductions in the lane nearest the vehicle compared to other lanes.
Under the new section of the law, “any vehicle authorized to be equipped with flashing, blinking or alternating amber warning lights under state law may now be equipped with the portable changeable message sign.” The signs can display important safety messaging like “Slow Down, Move Over” as well as arrows or chevrons directing drivers to merge away from vehicles along the roadside.
“These signs are a lifesaver for those of us on AAA Roadside Rescue and the rest of the tow community,” says Charles ‘Raymond’ Elkins, AAA Richmond Club Fleet Manager. “We have tested these off and on in AAA Mid-Atlantic territory and we’ve seen the positive change in driver habits as the signs direct them to slow down and move over.”
AAA has been advocating for roadside safety laws for decades. AAA proposed and supported the 2023 law change to extend Virginia’s Move Over law to cover disabled vehicles displaying hazard lights, flares or emergency signs. Previously, state law only covered emergency vehicles displaying red, blue or amber flashing lights.
Getting state permission to use the changeable signs gives roadside workers another important tool to create safe space on the roadside. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2025.