VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — July marks Roadside Safety Awareness Month. To kick off the month, Virginia Beach officials are reminding drivers of the Move Over law in Virginia. It comes as the Fourth of July is just days away.
“A matter of utmost importance," said Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate. "That is the safety of our first responders, our roadside workers, and every member of our community who finds themselves on the side of the road.”
It’s a crucial message coming from Virginia Beach and Virginia State Police as summer travel ramps up in the area.
“The roads are very busy on a good day," said Major Ronald Maxey, Jr., the deputy director of Virginia State Police's Bureau of Field Operations. "In the summer months, it is extremely busy.”
Of the two million Virginians expected to travel across the state for Independence Day, 1.8 million will hit the roads. Because of the busy travel week, authorities are asking drivers to take caution.
“Since January of 2023, there have been 66 crashes involving our safety service patrol,” said Christopher Hall, Hampton Roads District Engineer for VDOT. "Three workers were injured. Last October, a VDOT safety service patrol worker was tragically killed on the side of Interstate 64 in Hampton."
Public Safety advocate Melanie Clark understands the pain of losing a loved one in a roadside crash. She lost her husband, Hanover County Fire Lieutenant Brad Clark, in 2018 during Tropical Storm Michael.
“He was killed but his crew was injured catastrophically when a tractor-trailer failed to move over,” she said.
Since then, Clark has advocated for the expansion of the Move Over law and has worked to educate drivers on road safety.
"In conjunction with the Move Over amendment, we got the memorial license plate for Brad which also serves as a reminder for motorists to move over and slow down."
She said she's starting to see a change on the roads.
“I think it is starting to be in the forefront of drivers’ minds,” Clark said.
She hopes drivers will follow the law while traveling this week for the holiday.