Wyoming’s Important Rules For Driving In A Construction Zone

I'll start off by saying that I'm not a lawyer and can't give you legal advice, but I can tell you that not paying attention to laws and driving rules can cause you many problems.

If you've driven in Wyoming, you've experienced road construction season. We've all come to expect that there will be at least one area that will cause delays, while the road is being repaired.

When you're working on the roads, there are many things that could cause injury or even death, but people driving through the work area shouldn't be one.

Did you know that not paying attention could be bad news for you?

We've all seen people speeding through construction zones, like the posted speed limit isn't meant for them. Even with the posted signs that say the speeding fine is higher in those areas.

The speeding fine isn't the only way you could see trouble when road construction or work is happening.

Move Over Law in Wyoming

In 2018, Wyoming's "Move Over" Law was revised to not just cover emergency vehicles, but to also include maintenance, construction, utility workers and their vehicles. Basically, when you see any of these vehicles, you need to treat them the same as you would an emergency vehicle that is on the side of the road.

This law has made it mandatory that you must be alert while driving and when you see one of these vehicles, slow down and move over or you can be fined. Many of the accidents in construction zones are caused by distracted driving, causing the driver to miss signs, flaggers, workers or vehicles on the side of the road.

The website for the company Get Jerry, a company that makes it easier to manage your car, defines the 'Move Over' law:

Under Wyoming state law, drivers must move over when the highway allows or slow down when passing roadside emergency or utility vehicles. Failure to do so is punishable as a misdemeanor with $235 in fines.

Make sure you're familiar with the guidelines of the Move Over law.

When a construction, maintenance or utility vehicle is stopped on a road with two or more lanes in the same direction, motorists must move to the farthest lane away from the stopped vehicle.

On a two-lane road where speeds are 45 mph or greater, motorists must slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit.

Every year there are thousands of work zone crashes that could be avoided.

Remember when you're driving in and around construction zones, you're passing by people that have families and it's your responsibility to look out of them. Slowing down and paying attention are sure-fire ways of doing that.

Here are a couple reminders of what could happen if you aren't following the rules.

If you don't move over, you can be fined $235.

If you speed through construction zones, the fines are higher.

If you hit and kill a worker with your vehicle, you could spend time in prison and/ or be fined thousands of dollars.