National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week: AAA reminds drivers to 'Slow Down, Move Over'

By AAA of Western and Central New York

National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week is held Nov. 9-15. AAA Western and Central New York reminds drivers to help protect workers and emergency personnel along roadways by following the “Slow Down, Move Over” law.

Emergency roadside assistance is at the core of AAA’s traffic safety mission. Yet, the men and women who help AAA members when they are in need also put their lives on the line every day.

Nationally, AAA tow operators respond to more than 30 million calls for help each year, working on roadside shoulders that are frequently no wider than 4 feet. Notably, the towing industry is 15 times deadlier than all other private industries combined; an average of 23 tow operators are killed at the roadside every year. That means one service provider on average is killed in the line of duty every other week.

The Move Over Law now exists in all 50 states and requires motorists to slow down and move over in an effort to protect emergency responders working along the roadside. It requires motorists to slow down and move over or change lanes, if possible, to give safe clearance. Though all 50 states have such laws, the majority of drivers say they aren’t even aware of them, showing more education is needed.

In 2005, the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee, established its survivor fund to provide immediate financial support to families of towing operators who lose their lives in the line of duty. AAA is a proud supporter of the survivor fund. To learn more about the fund and how you can help, visit https://internationaltowingmuseum.org/donate/.

As upstate New York’s largest member services organization, AAA Western and Central New York provides more than 887,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1900, AAA has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. Visit AAA at www.AAA.com.