Michigan Move Over Law Crackdown July 20

Michigan drivers will get a five-hour pop quiz on Monday, July 20, 2026, and the correct answer is not "keep doing 78 when you see flashing lights on the side of the road."

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From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Michigan State Police (MSP) and local agencies will conduct a statewide enforcement effort targeting drivers who ignore Michigan's Move Over law. Officers in Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania will also be joining the operation.

Michigan’s Move Over Law Requires Two Things

Seeing flashing lights on a stopped police car, ambulance, fire truck, tow truck, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) service vehicle, road-maintenance vehicle, utility, or garbage hauler means drivers must move into an open lane and slow to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit.

When traffic, weather, or road conditions make changing lanes unsafe, drivers must still slow down at least 10 mph and pass cautiously, leaving as much space as possible.

Why Michigan Is Enforcing the Law

Police car with flashing lights on city street. — Photo by Albert Stoynov on Unsplash

MSP reports that at least 13 patrol vehicles have been struck during traffic stops in 2026. Seven MSP members have also been killed while working along roads during the department's history. The law exists because roadside workers have no concrete wall between them and several thousand pounds of metal moving at high speeds.

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Violating the law regarding emergency vehicles is a civil infraction that carries 2 license points and a $400 fine. Causing an emergency responder's injury can bring up to two years in prison and a $1,000 fine. Causing a death can mean up to 15 years and $7,500. Violations involving utility, road-maintenance, or waste vehicles are misdemeanors.

The 20 Worst Cities For Car Accidents in Michigan For 2026

Michigan Auto Law used official crash data from Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, along with U.S. Census population numbers, to rank cities with at least 500 crashes and populations over 10,000. So this wasn’t some guy in a Facebook comment section yelling, “People can’t drive there.” Here's a look at the 20 worst cities in Michigan for car accidents.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

10 Michigan Cities to Avoid After Dark in 2026

The security experts at Reolink didn’t go off vibes or reputation here. They dug into recent crime data, comparing violent and property crime rates per 100,000 people to keep things fair. The cities that landed on the list are the ones where serious crimes like robberies, burglaries, and car thefts happen more often, based on the numbers, not the rumor mill.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow