Help protect roadside workers and responders
Helping stranded motorists on the side of the road should not be one of America’s most lethal jobs, but it is. On average, two emergency responders, including tow workers, are struck and killed every month by a driver who fails to obey the law by moving over to an adjacent lane and allowing the roadside rescuers the space to operate.
These crashes are avoidable if drivers slow down and move over to allow roadside workers the space to carry out their duties safely. AAA believes we must help motorists see and react appropriately whenever an emergency responder is on the side of the road.
The problem
While all 50 states have “move over” laws, motorist awareness and compliance are inconsistent. These laws require drivers to slow down or change lanes whenever first responders such as police, EMS, fire and tow trucks are on the roadside. Also, several states have laws requiring drivers to change lanes or slow down when approaching a broken-down vehicle when flashing lights, hazards or flares are used. With highway speeds often over 65 mph, motorists may find it difficult to spot and react to incident response personnel, including police, emergency responders, tow truck drivers or other disabled vehicles.
AAA has been a national proponent of expanding the “move over” law to include disabled vehicles. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and data from the Ohio Department of Transportation, 246 drivers in Ohio were hit and killed when they exited their vehicle along the road between 2008 and 2022. Nationwide that number jumps to 1,600. In 2022 alone, there were 35 people hit and killed as they exited their disabled vehicle along the road.
So, what else should be done?
The AAA Foundation conducted two field studies on busy roads to determine the effectiveness of various countermeasures to protect roadside workers. The foundation also surveyed tow workers, emergency responders and road maintenance workers on their experiences with roadside jobs. Of those surveyed, 60% had experienced a near miss while working at the roadside, while an astonishing 15% had survived being hit by a passing vehicle.
The foundation studied several countermeasures, and an electronic vehicle-mounted variable message sign was very effective. With VMS activated, drivers changed lanes and slowed down more than when the VMS was not operating. The odds of a vehicle moving over were 95% higher when the VMS was used. Passenger vehicles were more responsive to the VMS than trucks or buses, although both were more likely to move over when VMS was active than when not.
Other countermeasures also have their merits. The Foundation examined cones, flares and emergency flashing light patterns. The researchers found these led to significant lane shifts by drivers but were less effective at reducing speeds or increasing the distance to the passing vehicles that did not change lanes. It should be noted that due to wildfire concerns, flares may be restricted in some areas.
Next steps
The results from the field studies suggest that using VMS, nighttime light patterns, cones or flares can positively impact the behaviors of passing motorists under most circumstances. AAA strongly recommends service vehicles or fleets utilize these features to protect these roadside heroes.
AAA is using this research to promote the adoption of lifesaving countermeasures to protect first responders and tow workers. AAA is sharing these findings with other impacted industries and traffic safety advocates. At the same time, AAA will continue educating drivers about the need to obey “move over” laws because doing so saves lives. AAA is also working to educate Ohio lawmakers on the vulnerability to everyday drivers stopped along the road.