Map sticker alerts out-of-state drivers
to safety law protecting ITD workers

Two of the department's primary goals - safety and mobility - were combined together under “safe mobility” in an innovation with the highway maps distributed to out-of-state drivers to alert them to a new law giving protections to ITD workers.

A significant step to ensure the safety of ITD employees working on the roadsides took place in 2019 as the "Move Over" law was expanded in Idaho to include responders to a roadside emergency, such as highway workers.

The existing law, from 2006, already gave protections to police by requiring motorists to move over for law-enforcement personnel operating with flashing lights. Now drivers must also move over for other emergency responders to traffic incidents, too, such as ITD's workers and tow truck operators using flashing lights in a stationary position.

“Many of those coming to Idaho are likely not familiar with the 'Move Over' law, so this helps to put it in the forefront as people are traveling through the state," said Public Information Officer Reed Hollinshead about messaging the new safety law to out-of-town stakeholders.

ITD distributes thousands of Idaho highway maps per year, and now they’ll all have that important safety message on the cover. When the map supply is reprinted, it'll contain information about the Move Over law, expanding the outreach to more than 100,000.

Published 08-14-20