The Texas Move Over or Slow Down law, explained

What does the Texas Move Over or Slow Down law require?

The rule is in Texas Transportation Code section 545.157. When you approach a vehicle it covers, and unless a police officer directs you otherwise, you must do one of two things. Leave the lane closest to that vehicle, if the road has two or more lanes going your direction. Or slow to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit. On roads posted at 25 mph or less, slowing down means going no faster than 5 mph.

In practice, on a freeway posted at 65 mph you pass the stopped vehicle at 45 mph or less. On a 45 mph road, you pass at 25 mph or less. On a 30 mph street, 10 mph. TxDOT puts it simply: move out of the lane closest to these vehicles when you can, and slow to 20 mph below the limit when switching lanes isn't possible.

The point is to give anyone standing beside that vehicle time and space if something goes wrong. If the lane next to you is open and it's safe, use it.

Which vehicles does the move over law cover?

The law applies only to the vehicles it lists, and most of them must be using their warning lights to count. The list includes:

• Police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles stopped with emergency lights on
• Wreckers stopped and using their warning lights
• TxDOT and other highway maintenance or construction vehicles using warning lights, unless they're separated from traffic by cones, barrels or similar devices
• Utility service vehicles using warning lights
• Stopped garbage and recycling trucks
• Toll road authority vehicles using warning lights
• Animal control vehicles removing an animal from the road, and local parking enforcement vehicles writing citations

What changed in the Texas move over law in 2025?

Senate Bill 305 added the last two groups on that list: vehicles removing an animal or carcass from the roadway and local parking enforcement vehicles, both using approved warning lights. The change took effect September 1, 2025, and TxDOT confirms the expansion. Older summaries of the law, and some versions of the statute text online, may not show them yet, so treat any stopped vehicle with flashing lights as covered.

What is the fine for not moving over in Texas?

Breaking the law is an offense under section 545.157, and the penalties climb quickly. With a prior conviction under this section, a court may also suspend your driver's license for up to six months. TxDOT notes that drivers who cause serious injuries can face jail time and a fine of up to $4,000. The tiers in the statute are:

How do you move over safely?

Moving over is about giving people room, not about a sudden swerve. A few habits make it routine:

• Watch far ahead for flashing lights, especially at night and on curves.
• Check your mirror and blind spot, signal, and change lanes only when there's a gap.
• If you can't change lanes, ease off the gas early so you're down to the right speed before you reach the vehicle.
• Expect people near the vehicle, including officers, workers and drivers on the traffic side.
• Keep your phone down and your eyes on the road until you're well past.

Does the law protect a regular car stopped with its hazards on?

No. Section 545.157 says it applies only to the vehicles on its list, and an ordinary car or pickup stopped on the shoulder with its hazards flashing is not one of them. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety notes that many states' move over laws cover disabled vehicles too. As of the 2025 update, neither the statute nor TxDOT's description of the law includes them.

Moving over for any stopped car is still the right call. The AAA Foundation's analysis of NHTSA data found that more than 2,100 people were killed outside disabled vehicles across the US from 2019 through 2023. Its survey report also estimates that a roadside assistance provider is struck and killed by a passing vehicle about every two weeks, and says every one of those incidents involves, in some way, a driver who failed to slow down or move over.

What should you do if you're the one stopped on the shoulder?

Plan as if passing traffic won't move over for you, because in Texas it doesn't have to. AAA Club Alliance's breakdown advice comes down to four rules:

• Get as far right as you can and switch on your hazard lights.
• Don't step out before the car is pulled over. Once it is, keep your seat belt buckled. AAA notes that the belt, airbags and side curtain bags protect you if another vehicle hits yours.
• If staying inside isn't safe, climb out the passenger side and move beyond the guardrail, keeping at least 40 feet from the car.
• Never try to cross moving lanes on foot.

Who should you call if you're stranded on a Dallas shoulder?

If anyone is injured, you've been hit, or the car is stuck in a travel lane, 911 comes first. For a dead battery, a flat, an empty tank or a stuck lug nut, call Pit Stop at (214) 367-5302, day or night. You hear the price before a technician is sent, along with an ETA for where you are. Across Dallas, the usual wait is 30–45 minutes. Until help is there, stay belted in or behind the guardrail.