A tow truck is stopped with its lights activated on a road posted at 20 mph, and traffic prevents you from vacating the lane closest to it. What speed does the Move Over Law require?
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A.
Reduce your speed by 20 mph below the posted limit.
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B.
Cut your speed to half of the posted limit.
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C.
Come to a complete stop before passing the vehicle.
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D.
Slow to less than 5 mph while you pass the vehicle. Correct
The answer is "Slow to less than 5 mph while you pass the vehicle."
On a road posted under 25 mph, the Move Over Law requires slowing to less than 5 mph past a stopped emergency vehicle with lights on when the closest lane cannot be vacated. Wrong answer A catches drivers who remember the 20-mph-below figure from higher-speed roads and stretch it to apply everywhere.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Reduce your speed by 20 mph below the posted limit.
The 20-mph reduction applies only when the posted limit is 25 mph or higher. This answer carries the 20-mph-below figure from higher-speed roads onto a road posted under 25 mph.
B. Cut your speed to half of the posted limit.
The manual sets a specific figure, not a proportional cut. This answer reaches for a "half the limit" rule of thumb when the manual gives a fixed number.
C. Come to a complete stop before passing the vehicle.
The Move Over Law calls for slowing and passing, not stopping. This answer applies the school-bus full-stop rule to a stopped emergency vehicle.
This question tests your knowledge of Right of Way in Texas. Source: Texas Driver Manual, "Yield Right-of-Way to Emergency Vehicles," p.22..
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