Indiana drivers will soon be required to move their vehicles out of the roadway after a property damage crash. Starting July 1, if a vehicle involved in an accident comes to a stop in the travel lanes of a public roadway, the driver will be required to move it as soon as possible to a location close to the accident but out of the way of traffic.
However, if the incident involves a vehicle carrying hazardous materials, or if it causes injury, death, or entrapment of a person in a vehicle, drivers should leave their vehicle where it is. The law aims to reduce the risk of secondary crashes, which can often result in more injuries than the initial one. It also makes sure drivers have a legal incentive to move their vehicles, since insurance companies often advise their clients not to leave them where they are, even if it’s only a property damage crash.
Leaving the vehicle in the travel lanes after a property damage crash will now be considered a class “C” infraction. However, Indiana State Police say they only anticipate issuing tickets in rare circumstances.
The new law is designed to replace a previous one that considered leaving a vehicle in the roadway after a property damage crash a misdemeanor, but was inadvertently removed from the Indiana books.
