KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Flashing red, blue or yellow lights at the roadside mean slow down.
- 70 km/h in zones of 80 km/h or more; 40 km/h in zones under 80.
- Move into another lane to pass when it is safe to do so.
- On Bridgeport Rd and other city streets, that usually means 40 km/h.
- The Province lists a ticket with 3 penalty points for not complying.
By Zip Towing Bridgeport BC · Published October 28, 2026
What does the slow down move over BC rule require?
According to the Province's Slow Down, Move Over page, drivers must slow down and move over for vehicles stopped alongside the road with flashing red, blue or yellow lights. In Bridgeport, that might be a tow truck loading a car after a crash on Bridgeport Rd, or a crew doing a battery boost in a lot entrance.
There are two parts. First, your speed: the limit you must drop to depends on the posted zone, as the table shows. Second, your lane: on multi-lane roads you must move into another lane to pass, but only where it is safe. If you can't change lanes, slow down and pass with care. The rule applies at night too, when 24 hour roadside crews may be marked only by their lights.
| Posted speed zone | Maximum speed while passing | Lane rule |
|---|---|---|
| 80 km/h or higher | 70 km/h | Move into another lane where safe |
| Under 80 km/h | 40 km/h | Move into another lane where safe |
Which vehicles does BC's tow truck law cover?
The provincial list goes well beyond police and ambulances. It covers fire, police and ambulance, tow trucks, highway maintenance and utility workers, Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement personnel, land surveyors, animal control workers and garbage collectors. The test is a vehicle stopped at the roadside with flashing red, blue or yellow lights, so a tow truck set up for flatbed towing on River Rd counts the same as a police cruiser.
The Ministry of Transportation's TranBC blog explains that the older wording only covered official vehicles, and that the change was made so the rule protects all roadside workers. It also advises slowing down even if you are not in the lane next to the stopped vehicle, since other drivers may need to move into yours. That matters around a light-duty tow, where the operator often works on the traffic side of the car.
What happens if you don't slow down and move over in BC?
The Province lists a $173 traffic violation ticket that also carries 3 penalty points for failing to slow down or move over, and notes that offences with penalty points can lead to a driving prohibition. Those figures come from the provincial page and can change, so check it for the current amount.
The bigger cost is the one no ticket covers. A tow operator hooking up a car, a driver changing a flat tire or someone waiting for fuel delivery has no protection except the space you leave them.
Slow down, move over on Hwy 99 near the Bridgeport Road exit
Hwy 99 runs just west of Bridgeport with fast traffic and narrow shoulders. Northbound, the Bridgeport Road exit is the last one before the Oak Street Bridge; southbound, traffic coming off the bridge splits for Sea Island Way and No. 4 Road. A tow truck clearing a breakdown near those ramps leaves little room, so move over a lane where it is safe, and if the stretch is posted 80 km/h or more, drop to 70. Stranded drivers can follow our Hwy 99 safety checklist.
The rule never tells you to cross into oncoming traffic, and TranBC is clear that doing so is unsafe and illegal. On the bridge deck with no spare lane, slow to the required speed and pass carefully. If your own car stops there, see our guide to a car that dies on the Oak Street Bridge.
Passing a tow truck on Knight Street and the Knight Street Bridge
Knight Street has an interchange with Bridgeport Road just south of the Knight Street Bridge, and the bridge narrows to four lanes over Mitchell Island. The island's yards and auto wreckers have one way on and off, at the bridge. A tow truck working near that ramp or on the bridge shoulder may only leave you one lane to move into, so slow early. Our guide to a Knight Street Bridge breakdown covers the stranded driver's side.
If you are the one stopped, put your hazards on, stay buckled in or get behind a barrier away from traffic, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or the car is in a live lane and you can't get out safely. TranBC asks drivers to give private vehicles with hazards on a wide berth, but don't count on it. When our truck arrives for a tow or roadside call, its lights bring the rule into force for everyone passing.
Bridgeport Rd at No. 4 Rd and Shell Rd, River Rd and Van Horne Way
Where a street in Bridgeport, Richmond is posted under 80 km/h, as city streets usually are, the passing speed is 40 km/h. Bridgeport Rd is busy all day, with driveways and lot entrances all along it between No. 4 Rd and Shell Rd. Picture a tow truck on the shoulder outside a lot entrance, loading a car with its lights flashing: ease off to 40, move to the other lane if it is clear, and watch for the operator stepping round the truck. That is how Zip Towing works safely on its home street.
River Rd runs along the North Arm past warehouses, yards and the River Drive condos, with industrial traffic and yard debris, and Van Horne Way is lined with industrial lots. No. 4 Rd is the way into Tait, where drivers already slow for Tait Elementary at drop-off and pick-up. On any of these roads, if you see our lights, give the crew room. Questions about a tow or a service call are welcome, and more local guides are on the Zip Towing blog.
Questions drivers ask
Does Slow Down, Move Over apply to tow trucks in BC?
Yes. Tow trucks are named on the Province's list, along with police, fire, ambulance, maintenance and utility workers and others stopped with flashing lights.
What speed do I pass a tow truck at on Bridgeport Rd?
Bridgeport Rd is a city street. Where the posted zone is under 80 km/h, the rule sets 40 km/h while you pass a tow truck in Bridgeport with its lights on, and you move over a lane where it is safe.
What if I can't change lanes safely?
Stay in your lane and slow to the required speed: 70 km/h in zones of 80 km/h or more, or 40 km/h in zones under 80. Never cross into oncoming traffic to make room.
Does the rule cover a regular car with its hazard lights on?
The rule is written for vehicles stopped with flashing red, blue or yellow lights, such as tow trucks and emergency vehicles. TranBC still advises giving private vehicles with hazards on a wide berth, which is good practice.
How many penalty points is a Slow Down, Move Over ticket in BC?
The Province lists a $173 ticket with 3 penalty points. Check the provincial page for the current figures, since they can change.