require you to yield the right of way to stopped emergency vehicles by moving over to the nearest lane or reducing your speed. Failure to do so could result in infractions which could end up on your

driving record

One of the main causes of severe injury or death for emergency responders is being hit by oncoming traffic. Since the early 2000s, many states have passed move-over laws to protect firefighters, police officers, and paramedics—to name just a few.

Currently, most states have some form of a move-over law. To help you break down what’s what, the

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What are the move-over laws in Arizona?

When near active emergency responders with emergency signals, Arizona drivers must move over one lane or reduce speed. More specifically, under the Move Over Arizona Act, drivers must do the following:

Yield the right-of-way to oncoming active emergency vehicles by moving over and stopping your car

If unsafe, reduce your speed and follow local law enforcement for further instruction

What’s considered an emergency vehicle in Arizona?

In Arizona, any vehicle with active flashing lights pulled over on the side of the road is considered an emergency vehicle. Here are some examples of some of the most common ones:

Patrol cars

Ambulances

Fire trucks

Utility trucks

Tow trucks

Penalties for violating Arizona’s move over laws

Failure to yield the right of way or reduce speed for emergency vehicles in Arizona could result in a violation of the move over laws. This can result in penalties ranging from a citation that will go on your driving record to license suspension.

Whenever you see emergency vehicles with blinking lights, move out of the way or reduce your speed to avoid violating the law.

MORE:

What is a citation?

Can violating move-over laws raise your insurance?

Anytime you commit a traffic violation, it will end up on your driving record—and this plays a big role in determining your car insurance rates. If it’s a one-time incident or rare instance, you may not notice much of a difference, while repeated offenses will cause your rates to spike.

Insurance companies use the information on your driving record to determine what rates to offer you. If you have a less than ideal record, insurance companies may deem you a high-risk driver and you’ll have trouble finding low rates.

MORE:

Tips to get a clean driving record

Why are there move-over laws?

Move over laws were created to provide safe zones for emergency responders when responding to an active emergency. This includes law enforcement officials, paramedics, and firefighters, among others. Essentially, the goal of these laws is to reduce the number of injuries and deaths of emergency responders caused by moving vehicles.

Since the early 2000s, nearly every state has passed some form of move over law—except Washington D.C. This means that drivers must yield the right of way for emergency vehicles and drive slow when passing by emergency situations.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that accidents don’t happen. In Arizona, an average of

24 highway or patrol workers

are killed each month by oncoming traffic.

How to find cheap insurance after a traffic violation

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