**** CAA Release
National Slow Down Move Over Day: CAA Atlantic calls for proven safety technology to protect roadside workers
Drivers are 95 per cent more likely to slow down and move over when tow trucks use variable message signs (VMS), according to research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Ahead of National Slow Down Move Over Day on Oct. 17, CAA Atlantic is calling on governments across Atlantic Canada to allow the proven safety tool to be used and evaluated here.
Tow truck operators, emergency responders, road maintenance crews and other roadside workers face dangerous conditions while helping motorists and keeping roads safe. When drivers fail to slow down or move over, the consequences can be devastating.
“Every day, roadside workers step into unpredictable and often dangerous situations to help others. They deserve every reasonable protection we can give them,” said Dawn Dalley, President and CEO of CAA Atlantic. “Variable message signs are a practical, proven tool that helps drivers recognize the risk sooner and respond safely. We want to see Atlantic Canada move quickly to allow this technology and evaluate its impact here.”
Slow Down Move Over laws exist in every Canadian province. They require motorists to reduce their speed and, when it is safe to do so, move over to create more space for stopped emergency, tow, maintenance or public works vehicles.
CAA Atlantic welcomes Nova Scotia’s new Traffic Safety Act, which takes effect Oct. 19 and strengthens protections for tow truck operators by allowing recovery and service vehicles to use flashing red lights at the roadside. It is an important step forward, and CAA Atlantic is encouraging all Atlantic governments to consider additional tools, including VMS, that help drivers recognize roadside hazards sooner and respond safely.
Ontario is taking another step this month, as CAA South Central Ontario begins deploying roadside assistance vehicles equipped with VMS under special approvals. CAA Atlantic wants governments in Atlantic Canada to create a similar path so the technology can be used locally and evaluated for its impact on driver behaviour and roadside worker safety.
Variable message signs are digital signs mounted on service vehicles that display directional arrows or safety messages to approaching drivers, such as “Slow Down” or “Move Over.”
“It only takes one distracted driver to change a life forever,” said Brandon Goguen, fleet supervisor and tow operator at CAA Atlantic. “I’ve had vehicles pass so close I could feel the wind as they went by. Slowing down and moving over gives us the space we need to do our jobs safely and get home at the end of the day.”
National Slow Down Move Over Day is observed annually across Canada to raise awareness of the risks faced by roadside workers and to promote safer driving behaviour around emergency and service vehicles.
