DRIVE TO HELP EMERGENCY WORKERS
Motorists reminded to watch for responders
Spirit Ride reminds motorists to “slow down and move over” when approaching tow trucks and other first-responder vehicles.
On Wednesday, Albuquerque will become one of more than 60 cities to have participated in the American Towman Spirit Ride, whose purpose is to remind people to “slow down and move over” when approaching tow trucks and other first-responder vehicles.
The Spirit Ride began on June 1 in Massachusetts, where tow trucks and emergency response vehicles began a relay of the ceremonial casket, “Spirit,” across the country. The casket, painted to depict tow truck drivers and emergency responders in action, is meant to honor those individuals who have lost their lives in roadside accidents. The relay is set to visit more than 250 cities by the end of 2018.
“The nicest part is that everyone has joined together and united as one,” said participant Linda Unruh, the owner of All-Rite Towing & Repair Inc. in Tucumcari.
This event is very personal for Unruh. Her son, Bobby Unruh, was killed by an 18-wheeler on the side of Interstate 40 in February during recovery work while getting a colleague out of harm’s way. His death helped to push the Move Over or Slow Down for Hazard Lights Act into law, said Johnny R. Johnson, managing director of the New Mexico Trucking Association.
The new law, signed by the governor in April, requires motorists to slow down and — if it’s safe — pull into a nonadjacent lane when approaching a repair, recovery or emergency vehicle with flashing emergency or hazard lights.
Before the bill was passed, motorists were only required to do so for emergency vehicles, said state Sen. James P. White, R-Albuquerque, one of the bill’s sponsors.
According to Johnson and a news release issued by American Towman spokeswoman Janna Ross, a tow truck driver dies every six days on average in the United States in roadside accidents.
Michael Tavenner, owner of Tavenner’s Towing & Recovery in Moriarty, hopes that people will follow this new law so that his employees and others will be safe.
“We’re always on the side of the road; my drivers are always on the side of the road,” he said.
Tavenner and Unruh, along with an escort of emergency vehicles, will transport Spirit into Albuquerque on Wednesday, where a ceremony is set to start at 1 p.m. at Balloon Fiesta Park. It will feature several speakers, including White and Unruh. At the end of the ceremony, Spirit will be transported to Socorro, its next stop.
Unruh is looking forward to the opportunity the Spirit Ride presents to bring awareness to the issue.
“My healing is to save others,” she said. “It’s my journey to make something positive. I don’t want anybody else to have to go through that.”