Blumenthal's Bipartisan Slow Down, Move Over Resolution Passed by Senate

[HARTFORD, CT] – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan “Slow Down, Move Over” resolution led by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mike Braun (R-IN). The resolution raises awareness of Slow Down, Move Over state laws to reduce struck-by-vehicle injuries and fatalities and to recognize the important role fire and rescue personnel, emergency medical services personnel, law enforcement officers, tow truck operators, and transportation workers play in road safety. 

“This year, State Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, Andrew DiDomenico, Jose Diaz Nieves, and Corey Iodice will be absent from family holiday dinner tables. They tragically lost their lives on Connecticut roads, and so many other preventable deaths and injuries occur on our roadways every year,” said Blumenthal. “Today, I’m proud that the Senate has passed this bipartisan resolution to promote greater adherence and stronger enforcement of Slow Down, Move Over laws to prevent these tragic deaths.”

All 50 states have Slow Down, Move Over laws that direct motorists to reduce speed or change lanes for stopped emergency and maintenance vehicles. Despite these laws, many motorists are unaware of them and roadside fatalities and injuries continue. In 2023, 45 traffic incident management responders were killed in the United States due to roadside collisions.

The Slow Down, Move Over resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). The resolution is inspired by Corey Iodice, a tow truck operator, who was tragically struck and killed on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut in 2020 while assisting a driver.

The resolution is supported by a number of organizations, including Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA), American Automobile Association (AAA), American Association of State Troopers, American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Eastern Transportation Coalition, Governors Highway Safety Association, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), National Association of Police Organizations, National Association of State EMS Officials, National Safety Council, and Flagman.

"Emergency responders are the unsung heroes of our nation's roads," said Cindy Iodice, Founder and CEO of Flagman. "So it's important to keep the message of Slow Down Move Over in the eye of the motoring public. Senator Blumenthal's resolution does just that."

The text of the resolution is available here.

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