Drivers must change non-adjacent lanes so that the emergency tow truck and other emergency services can safely navigate the area. If this is not practical or safe, drivers must slow down to a speed that is safe for current conditions (including weather, road and traffic conditions). Drivers must be prepared to stop or avoid protecting persons or objects that may enter their lane. «So many professionals like tow truck drivers, construction or maintenance workers, and first responders risk their lives working on the side of the road every day to protect us and motorists from dangerous situations,» said Lincoln Tomlin, Auto Club`s vice president of public affairs. «We need to do our part as drivers by slowing down when approaching the flashing lights of a roadside emergency vehicle and crossing a lane when it is safe and possible to do so, whether on a highway or a city road.» While all 50 states have moving laws for emergency responders, less than 30 percent of Americans are aware of those laws, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A recent Auto Club survey of drivers found that many confuse this law with others that require drivers to move to the right for emergency vehicles with flashing lights on the way to an emergency. All drivers who obey this law by driving for each vehicle with flashing lights on the side of the road can thus save lives. Failure to comply with this law can result in a fine of several hundred dollars and can also result in serious injury or death to people involved in an accident or collision. «We hope this will deter people who are not suspicious of responders stopped on the side of the road,» Frazier said. «Human lives have been lost.
Consider everyone on the street as a member of your family and treat them that way. You want them to be able to go home to their families. On Jan. 1, California drivers will have to slow down or move for all emergency vehicles with flashing lights parked on the side of the city`s streets and highways. The Automobile Club of Southern California reminds drivers that emergency vehicles include tow trucks and vehicles from Caltrans and other agencies, as well as fire trucks, police vehicles and ambulances that travel on the roads. The Move Over Act is a driver safety law. In more than 40 U.S. states, including California, drivers must «move» when emergency vehicles are present and flashing emergency lights are posted. Stranded drivers can also be protected by flashing their hazard lights. The links provided with these articles were active and correct at the time the article was published in ResponderSafety.com. However, the sites are changing, and the organization hosting the page under the link may have moved or deleted it since this article was published. As a result, some links may no longer be active.
The Move Over Act is designed to protect emergency vehicle drivers, including tow truck drivers. A tow truck driver who provides towing services may be the victim of a preventable accident if he or she responds to an emergency roadside assistance call if nearby drivers do not comply with the Moving Act. But it shouldn`t be. Towing services are essential for any driver, and his job should not be a life-or-death situation. The Move Over Act exists to protect professional towing technicians while helping stranded drivers. Drivers who are not familiar with this law should be careful to familiarize themselves with what they need to do so that they can protect towing drivers and other emergency responders and people on the side of the road. Illegal drivers who ignore this law can become responsible for the death or serious injury of a towing technician who is doing his job. Publisher: B-role for your use of a tow truck driver working alongside traffic (Credit Auto Club of Southern California); Video audio clips from Auto Club spokesman Doug Shupe and Assembly Member Jim Frazier discuss the new law, according to the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, 44 emergency responders died in the U.S. in 2019 after being struck by vehicles while working on the side of the road. This included 18 law enforcement officers, 14 tow truck drivers and nine fire and rescue service employees. In addition, several dozen road construction and maintenance workers are beaten and killed on the side of the road every year. California`s former «Slow Down, Move Over» law only applied to vehicles on state and interstate highways and highways.
AB 2285 by Mp Jim Frazier, D-Fairfield, extends the law to all roads. Those named for breaking the law will pay fines and penalties of about $238, with a point also added to their driving record. Many drivers, for example, are not familiar with Move Over Law. But by following the Move Over Act, drivers can protect rescuers, tow drivers, and stranded motorists from injury or death on the side of the road. Traffic accidents are tragic. In a short time, people can be permanently injured or killed. The rules for safe driving are supposed to help prevent accidents, but they always happen. Too often, accidents happen because drivers are not familiar with safety laws. The AAA Foundation for Road Safety in 2011 found that the risk of death is 50% for people hit by a car driving at 42 mph and 75% for vehicles travelling at 50 mph. Towing drivers are responsible for many road services – resolving accidents, towing a broken vehicle, changing a flat tire on the side of the highway, or delivering fuel to a motorist whose car runs out of gas A truck driver is killed every six days in the United States while providing a road service or towing services.
Road workers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and others are also killed. It is a danger to work in the towing industry. To prevent further fatalities and tragic injuries to roadside rescuers, Auto Club offers these tips to drivers: .