A vehicle slammed into the back of a tow truck on Highway 216 in December 2016, nearly striking the driver working at the roadside. (CAA MANITOBA / HANDOUT)
The safety of tow truck drivers is being highlighted today as CAA Clubs across Canada mark the first national Slow Down Move Over day.
The public awareness campaign is drawing attention to the safety risks approximately 15,000 tow truck drivers face on a daily basis.
“Lack of driver awareness is one of the largest threats to tow-truck operator safety on this day and all others,” said Raymond Chan, government relations, CAA.
“Everyone should slow down and move over when they see a tow truck operator on the side of the road.”
CAA says motorists who don’t slow down while passing a working tow truck contribute to thousands of near-misses experienced by emergency roadside operators annually and, across North America, nearly 100 tow truck drivers are killed every year after being struck by oncoming traffic while helping stranded motorists.
Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act adopted a Slow Down Move Over law in 2011, mandating motorists must slow down and change lanes, if it is safe to do so, to ensure the safety of emergency workers on the roadside.
