Grim Reminder
The recent deaths of two AAA tow providers, killed while assisting motorists, highlight just how dangerous it is for individuals who regularly work along the shoulders of America’s busy and congested roads.
Glenn Ewing, 32, was killed July 4 near Cincinnati, OH, while placing a disabled vehicle on the back of a flatbed on the side of the road. He leaves behind a fiancée and two children. Only three weeks later, 30-year-old David Meyer was assisting a driver on the left-hand shoulder in Castle Rock, CO, when he was also struck and killed. As of August, 14 tow providers have been killed while helping others at the roadside.
Startling new data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that among drivers who do not comply with Move Over laws at all times, 42 percent thought this behavior was somewhat or not dangerous at all to roadside emergency workers. This demonstrates that drivers may not realize how risky it is for those working or stranded along highways and roads close to moving traffic.
An average of 24 emergency responders, including tow providers, are struck and killed by vehicles while working at the roadside each year – meaning someone in this line of work is killed, on average, every other week.
To protect these individuals, AAA and other traffic safety advocates have led the way in getting Move Over laws passed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Yet, the AAA Foundation finds that nearly a quarter of those surveyed are unaware of the Move Over law in the state where they live, and among those who are aware of their state's Move Over laws, about 15 percent report not understanding the potential consequences for violating the Move Over law at all.
In early 2021, Pennsylvania’s Move Over Law went into effect. This law requires drivers who are approaching an emergency response area and are unable to safely merge into a lane farther away, pass the emergency response area at a speed of at least 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit, according to PennDOT.
During National Crash Responder Safety Week, November 8-14, please remember to Slow Down, Move Over for emergency responders. Move Over laws help keep emergency responders, tow providers, and other roadside workers safe as they perform their jobs. For more information, please visit AAA.com/SlowDown.
