To amend sections 2903.06, 2903.08, 4508.02, and 4511.213 and to enact section 5501.28 of the Revised Code to increase penalties for failing to slow down or change lanes when approaching specified stationary vehicles, to increase penalties for vehicular homicide and vehicular assault resulting from that offense, and to name this act Philip Wigal's Law.
HB132, known as Philip Wigal’s Law, would strengthen Ohio’s “move over” and stationary-vehicle safety rules by increasing penalties for drivers who fail to slow down or change lanes when approaching certain stopped vehicles with flashing lights, including public safety, emergency, road service, waste collection, utility inspection, and highway maintenance vehicles. The bill also directs the Department of Public Safety to update driver education rules so beginning drivers are taught the requirement to change lanes or proceed with due caution around these vehicles, and it requires the Department of Transportation to add a traffic-control sign describing the enhanced penalties.
The bill also raises criminal penalties when a violation of the stationary-vehicle rule causes death or serious physical harm. It amends Ohio’s vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and vehicular manslaughter statutes to create higher felony levels, mandatory jail or prison terms, longer driver’s license suspensions, and additional fines in cases tied to the move-over offense. In effect, it makes the underlying traffic-safety violation a more serious predicate offense when it results in injury or death, while also preserving existing penalties for related reckless driving, speeding, OVI, and construction-zone offenses.
HB132 would amend Ohio Revised Code sections 2903.06, 2903.08, 4508.02, and 4511.213 and add section 5501.28. Its main legal effect is to increase penalties for failing to comply with the move-over law and to elevate the criminal consequences when that conduct causes vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, or vehicular manslaughter. It also expands driver education requirements and requires new signage in the state traffic-control manual, affecting the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Transportation, drivers, and criminal courts handling traffic-related injury and death cases.
The available voting history shows strong bipartisan support and no recorded opposition: the House Judiciary Committee reported the bill favorably 13-0, and the full House passed it 93-0. With no committee transcript provided, the overall sentiment appears broadly favorable and safety-oriented, with lawmakers treating the measure as a response to roadway worker, first responder, and stationary-vehicle protection concerns.
No formal contention is reflected in the provided materials, and the unanimous committee and floor votes suggest little visible disagreement. The bill’s main policy choice is to increase punishment substantially for move-over violations that cause harm, including mandatory incarceration and higher felony classifications; in general, such provisions can raise concerns about proportionality, but no specific objections are documented here. The bill also ties enhanced penalties to construction-zone signage requirements, which may matter for enforcement, but again no recorded dispute appears in the available history.