Commercial Motor Vehicle / Move Over Law Saturation Patrol

On May 26, 2022, members of the New Hampshire State Police conducted a commercial motor vehicle / Move Over Law saturation patrol on Interstate 93 and the Everett Turnpike in the Windham and Merrimack areas.

The operation, which ran from 6:30AM until 10:30AM, included Troopers from both Troop B and Troop G. The purpose of the saturation patrol was to dedicate a large number of Troopers to patrol the specific area for a set time to increase visibility of commercial motor vehicle enforcement while simultaneously identifying operators who failed to move over for emergency vehicles as required.

The four-hour operation yielded the following results:

• 62 motor vehicle stops (27 passenger vehicles & 35 commercial motor vehicles)
• 16 passenger vehicles stopped for failing to move over
• 1 arrest for electronic bench warrants, which were issued for failing to register as a sex offender
• 3 commercial motor vehicles placed out-of-service for equipment violations, identifying them as being unsafe for the roadway
• 2 commercial motor vehicle operators placed out-of-service due to various hours of service violations

The Motorist Duties When Approaching Highway Emergencies (Move Over Law) is intended to protect first responders and other workers while performing their duties roadside. The New Hampshire State Police would like to remind the motoring public when approaching stationary vehicles on the side of the road which display blue, red or amber flashing lights, to move out of the lane adjacent to the emergency or maintenance vehicle. If the lane is blocked, maintain a reduced speed and give a wide berth, without endangering oncoming traffic.