People often confuse a move-over law with a general duty to slow down for road hazards. The difference is narrower and more specific: a general slow-down rule requires drivers to reduce speed when conditions make travel unsafe, while a move-over law requires drivers, when possible, to change lanes away from a stopped vehicle displaying warning lights. If a lane change cannot be made safely, the driver must slow down and proceed with caution.

These laws are meant to protect people working or stranded on the shoulder, including police officers, firefighters, EMS crews, tow operators, and road workers. On high-speed corridors such as I-26, that extra lane of space can be the difference between a routine stop and a serious collision. South Carolina's rule appears in S.C. Code § 56-5-1538, commonly called the South Carolina Move Over Law, and it applies when approaching certain stationary vehicles using flashing lights.

In an injury claim, the rule can matter as evidence of negligence. A driver who failed to move over or slow down may have violated a safety statute, which can support arguments about fault and liability. It can also affect comparative negligence disputes if one side argues the stopped driver, worker, or responder created a separate hazard. Crash reports, dashcam video, skid marks, and witness statements often become central in proving whether there was enough time and space to comply.