Asheville police launch Move Over enforcement campaign this week

Drivers in Asheville and across Buncombe County faced extra roadside enforcement this week as police joined a statewide Move Over or Get Pulled Over campaign aimed at the stretch of road where everyday traffic meets flashing lights, tow calls and emergency stops.

The campaign began Monday, May 11, and runs through Sunday, May 17, during National Police Week and alongside the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program. It is designed to push drivers to slow down and change lanes when they can safely do so around emergency and public service vehicles stopped on the shoulder.

North Carolina’s Move Over Law covers vehicles with flashing blue, red or amber lights, including law enforcement, emergency responders and N.C. Department of Transportation crews. State public safety officials also say the law applies to utility workers and roadside service vehicles such as tow trucks when they are properly displaying amber lights. If a driver cannot move over, the law says to slow down and proceed cautiously instead of crowding the scene.

The penalty is not minor. NCDOT says violators can face a minimum $250 fine, and the law can escalate into misdemeanor or felony charges if a crash causes property damage, injury or serious injury or death. Legislative materials say a standard violation is an infraction punishable by a $250 fine, while property damage above $500 or an injury can raise the offense to a Class 1 misdemeanor.

The enforcement push reflects how often Asheville motorists encounter roadside risk on busy commutes, where police, tow operators and road crews work inches from live traffic. Spring and early summer typically bring more travel, more road work and more breakdowns, which is why the reminders tend to land hardest now. NCDOT says more than 100 Safety Service Patrol responders help motorists across the state, and those workers depend on drivers giving them room.

State safety leaders framed the campaign as a direct response to that danger. Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, said the law is not just a suggestion but a crucial part of responder safety. Col. Freddy Johnson Jr. of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said drivers increase the risk to emergency personnel when they ignore flashing lights and fail to comply with the law. For Asheville drivers, the message this week was plain: if there are lights on the shoulder, slow down, move over and leave the scene space to work.