PRINTER'S NO. 3713
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 555
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY MEHAFFIE, OCTOBER 4, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, OCTOBER 4, 2024
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing October 19, 2024, as "National Move Over Awareness
2 Day" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Traffic incident management responders such as law
4 enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, tow
5 truck operators and transportation workers are at an increased
6 rate to lose their lives while performing their duties each year
7 due to increasingly high rates of distracted drivers on the
8 roadway; and
9 WHEREAS, Since 2019, at least 283 traffic incident management
10 responders were killed in the United States due to roadside
11 collisions and on average two emergency responders are struck
12 daily while working along the roadway in the United States; and
13 WHEREAS, According to 2022 data from the Department of
14 Transportation of the Commonwealth, 159 Pennsylvania emergency
15 responders have been struck and killed while assisting others on
16 Pennsylvania roadways, and this number does not include the 110
17 Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike workers
18 who have also been struck and killed while on duty; and
1 WHEREAS, The Federal Highway Administration and the National
2 Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States
3 Department of Transportation host the Crash Responder Safety
4 Week annually in November as a national effort to protect
5 traffic incident management responders who are at the scene of
6 highway crashes and to remind the public of their responsibility
7 to use caution when driving near roadside incidents involving
8 traffic incident management responders; and
9 WHEREAS, "Move over laws" have correlated directly with the
10 safer environment along the roadsides of the United States for
11 traffic incident management responders and stranded individuals;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, the General Assembly passed Act 105
14 of 2020 requiring motorists to move at least one lane over when
15 there is an emergency or rescue activity taking place on the
16 shoulder or side of the roadway or, if unable to do so safely,
17 to slow down no more than 20 miles per hour less than the posted
18 speed limit and pass the scene with caution; and
19 WHEREAS, Providing traffic incident management responders an
20 enhanced opportunity to inform the motoring public about these
21 laws is critical to the public safety; therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize October
23 19, 2024, as "National Move Over Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania;
24 and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support the goals
26 and ideals of a National Move Over Law Day to educate the public
27 of the importance to move over when passing traffic incident
28 management responders; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage
30 motorists to continue to follow Pennsylvania's move over law to
20240HR0555PN3713 - 2 -
1 protect Pennsylvania first responders, law enforcement, tow
2 truck operators and transportation workers.
20240HR0555PN3713 - 3 -