GEICO reminds drivers to move over for tow trucks, too

The following is a press release distributed by Geico to the motoring public:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2018 – While many drivers know to change lanes when a police cruiser or ambulance is stopped along a roadway, fewer of them know that tow trucks, too, are among the emergency vehicles that require drivers to ‘move over.’

“Tow truck drivers and all emergency vehicle personnel want to do their jobs safely and go home to their loved-ones at the end of the day; we can all help them do that by obeying Move Over Laws and driving distraction-free,”

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, all 50 states have some form of Move Over Law that directs drivers to change lanes in order to move away from emergency vehicles with visual signals such as flashing lights; drivers are to slow down if there is no other lane available.

Still, towing associations across the country are finding that many motorists don’t know the law applies to tow trucks as well. Such unawareness can have tragic consequences. Between 50 and 100 tow truck operators lose their lives each year in roadside accidents, the Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum estimates.
The Towing and Recovery Association of America and state towing groups have embarked on a campaign to educate drivers about the importance of moving over. Last October, awareness events were held across the country as part of the first-ever National Move Over Day.

Assistant Vice President John Little oversees GEICO’s Emergency Roadside Service, and he knows the dangers tow truck drivers face on the job each day.
“Tow truck drivers and all emergency vehicle personnel want to do their jobs safely and go home to their loved-ones at the end of the day; we can all help them do that by obeying Move Over Laws and driving distraction-free,” Little said.