If you see an emergency vehicle pulled over on the side of the road, Minnesota law previously required that you move over or slow down. A change in this law will apply to all vehicles on the side of the road.

As snow makes its grand entrance of the season, so do crashes and spinouts. Some say that stopping is sometimes more dangerous than driving.

“We’ve had to pull over unfortunately a lot of times on the expressway. We don’t feel safe there. We don’t like being there. It’s the worst place to be.” said Ricardo Holmez, a driver.

The “Move Over” Law was created decades ago in honor of State Trooper Ted Foss, who was hit by a vehicle and killed during a traffic stop. Minnesota lawmakers decided to change the law to make it safer for anyone who pulls over.

“We want everybody regardless if you’re working on the road in these conditions or just a motorist traveling to get to where they need to safely to keep all people safe here in our state” said Lt. Jill Frankfurth of Minnesota State Patrol.

The new version of the law reads that if you’re driving on a road with two or more lanes going in the same direction and see a vehicle with flashing lights on the shoulder of the road, you should move over a lane. If it isn’t safe to do so, you should slow down.

“It’s really just common sense. Right? If you’re outside your vehicle or you’re stalled, you want people to move over and slow down for you.” Frankfurth said.

The Department of Public Safety says the State Patrol has issued 659 citations and warnings for people failing to move over since 2020. Fines can exceed $100.