Officials are spreading the message about slowing down and moving over for stopped vehicles on the roadway.

State officials say drivers not moving over for stopped vehicles is a big issue in New York.

"We need you to put the phone down. We need you to not change the radio. We need you to be alert and help save our lives, help save your lives," says Jonathan Dougherty, spokesperson for the NYS Thruway Authority.

This week is Crash Responder Safety Week. It's an initiative that reminds drivers to slow down and safely move over when approaching emergency and maintenance vehicles on the side of the roadway.

This year's theme is "Responder Ahead! Reduce Your Speed as You Proceed."

"It hits home for us. We've had some very serious crashes here in New York state recently," says Sean LaBelle, a technical sergeant with the New York State Police.

In 2023, there were 200 work-zone crashes on the New York Thruway statewide, according to Dougherty.

In the Hudson Valley, state police have ticketed 2,233 drivers so far this year for failing to move over for stopped vehicles.

"The people who are working on the side of the road are real people with families who they want to go home safe to at the end of each shift," says Dougherty.

Officials and driving schools in the Hudson Valley say it all starts with education.

"I teach them to slow down to a speed which is a safe speed just in case something happened, you cannot switch lanes," says Adrian Mic, owner of Adrian's Driving School.

At Adrian's Driving School in Mount Kisco, teaching new drivers about the move over law is a priority.

"We explain to them, look in front of you, try to see as far as possible to have time to make a decision," says Mic.

Officials are encouraging drivers to be on the lookout for lights, workers in reflective vests and traffic around you. They say these are just a few signs that there may be a stopped vehicle ahead.