The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, along with state and federal partners, is reminding motorists to follow South Dakota’s updated Move Over law during the busy Thanksgiving travel week.
From Nov. 24–30, 2025, law enforcement will take part in Operation Safe, a high-visibility enforcement campaign aimed at reducing fatal crashes. Drivers will see public service announcements, social media messaging, and increased patrols reinforcing the reminder: Move Over. It’s the Law.
The push comes amid sobering statistics. In 2023, there were 28,000 shoulder-related crashes nationwide, 585 of them fatal. Between 2020 and 2024, 237 law enforcement officers were killed in traffic-related incidents, with a sharp rise in officers struck outside their vehicles.
South Dakota’s updated law, effective July 1, 2025, requires drivers to move over or slow down for any vehicle on the shoulder displaying amber, yellow, or blue warning lights—including tow trucks, utility vehicles, and DOT crews. On multi-lane highways, drivers must shift to the farthest lane; on two-lane roads, they must slow down by 20 mph (or 5 mph if the limit is 20 mph or less) at least 300 feet before passing.
Officials stress that slowing down and moving over protects law enforcement, first responders, and anyone stopped roadside. For more details, visit NHTSA.gov/MoveOver.
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