Traffic on SR 15 (North Detroit Street) is seen from the US 30 overpass earlier this summer. InkFreeNews photo by Dan Spalding.

WARSAW — Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has declared the week of Oct. 13 be recognized as Indiana Move Over Week.

In 1999, Indiana was the first state in the nation to pass such a law requiring motorists to move to an adjacent traffic lane, or reduce their speed by 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit if unable to change lanes safely when driving by an emergency vehicle stopped along the side of the road, such as a police car, fire truck or ambulance, according to a news release from the state of Indiana.

Over the years, Indiana’s law has expanded to include stationary towing/recovery, utility service, solid waste haulers, road/street highway maintenance vehicles, as well as a stationary survey or construction vehicles when displaying alternately flashing amber lights.

Indiana’s law was originally crafted and passed as the result of the death of Indiana State Police Trooper Andrew Winzenread, who was killed in April 1997 while assisting a stranded motorist on I-74 in Dearborn County. Now, 20 years after Indiana enacted its Move Over Law, every state, with the exception of Hawaii, has some form of a move over law.