ALBANY -- State Police are warning motorists that New York's Ambrose-Searles "move over law" is being expanded as of New Year's Day to include tow trucks, other emergency vehicles and construction crews.

The law is named in part for Onondaga County Sheriff's Deputy Glenn Searles, who died when his patrol car was hit while he was on the side of Interstate 481 helping a driver. It requires drivers to shift lanes when approaching flashing red and blue police lights, and will now include flashing amber/yellow lights as well.

If it isn't safe to change lanes, drivers must slow down when passing emergency vehicles.

Just last month, 53-year-old Todd Young of Mattydale was killed when he was hit by a passing tractor-trailer while hooking a car to his tow truck along the New York State Thruway.

The law enacted to protect police and others originally took effect January 1, 2011.

(Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.)