National Move Over Day is Saturday
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The following is a news release from AAA Idaho.
IDAHO FALLS– October 19 is National Move Over Day, a reminder to motorists to slow down and, if possible, move over to allow tow truck operators, incident response teams and emergency personnel to complete their work as safely and quickly as possible on Idaho roads.
“Research shows that the longer a tow truck or emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, the greater the chances of a secondary crash that can result in even more injuries and delays,” says AAA Idaho spokesman Matthew Conde. “Slow Down, Move Over laws, including here in Idaho, are designed to help these folks do their job and improve the flow of traffic for everyone.”
AAA reminds drivers that a new Idaho law provides additional “Slow Down, Move Over” protection for tow truck operators and highway incident response vehicles that are stationary and displaying flashing lights, in addition to emergency response vehicles and police cars that were covered previously. Motorists are required to reduce their speed below the speed limit when they pass, and move out of the adjacent lane if they can.
“People need to be reasonable and careful as they decide whether or not they can move over,” Conde explained. “Swerving into another lane in an unsafe manner is not the intent of the law.”
National Move Over Day spotlights the extremely dangerous work performed by tow truck operators every day. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the motor vehicle towing industry suffers nearly 43 deaths per 100,000 employees each year, more than 15 times the fatality rate for all U.S. private industries combined.
Tow operators are also more likely to die at the roadside than a police officer or firefighter. The most frequent cause of death is being struck by another vehicle. Countless more are injured.
“Tow truck operators, incident response crews and emergency personnel do a terrific job of serving stranded motorists throughout the Gem State and helping them get home safely,” Conde said. “With the Slow Down, Move Over law, we have an opportunity to return the favor.”