“Slow Down, Move Over” law amended to include tow truck drivers, maintenance workers

IDAHO FALLS — Governor Brad Little signed an amendment to the law known as “Slow Down, Move Over” this week. The bill says drivers must move over for tow trucks and maintenance vehicles. The law already applied to police vehicles and other emergency responder vehicles.

Fitz Simon is the Tow Truck Foreman for Stan’s Pro Tows in Pocatello. He says he and his co-workers spend a lot of time on interstates and busy roads, risking their lives every day.

Last summer, Simon took part in the “Spirit Ride”, which aims to show the danger tow truck drivers and first responders face on the road. In the “Spirit Ride”, a coffin is strapped onto the bed of the tow truck, and is passed from tow truck to tow truck across the nation.

Simon drove the coffin from Montpelier through Idaho Falls, where there was a procession.

“I have a friend whose dad was a tow truck driver in Montana and he was hit and killed on the side of the road helping a person,” says Simon. “The person who hit him was a distracted driver. It’s a very important law to have to prevent loss of life. When you have a family member taken from you, it’s one of the hardest things that can ever hit you.”

The bill passed the Idaho House 55-14 in February and the Senate 32-0 in March.