On February 22, 2019 the Virginia House of Representatives and Senate voted on a bill to impose harsher punishments for drivers who do not Slow Down and Move Over when approaching flashing lights on the highway. According to the bill violators of SDMO who hit a vehicle with blue or red flashing lights can receive a reckless driving infraction which can carry with it jail time and high monetary fines. 

However, when they voted to make this punishment more severe they also voted to exclude vehicles with Amber Flashing Lights. This includes all Tow Truck Operators and Highway Maintainence Workers. The bill states that violators of the SDMO when approaching Amber lights will receive a traffic violation. A ticket. That’s all for, for seriously injuring or killing someone. 

One Tow Truck Operator is killed on the side of the road every six days in America. Virginia is saying that their lives, the lives of countless fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, are not valuable. 

Please help us show Virginia that these lives matter too!