Slow for Those Who Tow

Tow truck drivers are there to help us when needed, but are we doing enough to protect them?

We often pay tribute to the police, paramedics, and firefighters, but there is another group that work on the fringes of these critical services and face danger regularly, yet receives little recognition — tow truck drivers.

Tow-truck drivers provide vital services on our roadways, assisting stranded motorists, clearing accident scenes, and keeping traffic flowing. The 'Slow Down, Move Over' law has been in place since 2015 to protect those working on the roadside, but awareness and adherence remain a significant issue. It's time we brought that to the foreground.

There are lots of challenges out here. The weather being one of the biggest but when you need help with your car and you call on us, you can be sure we will be there!

- Tovey Clendenning, Emergency Roadside Service Technician, CAA Atlantic

The lives of these drivers are at the mercy of others who often don't give them an inch of space on the road. They're husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters — they belong to someone, they're a piece of a family's puzzle.

This isn't just a matter of decree; it's about changing the culture of how we perceive and treat those who work on the roadside.

Motor vehicle, Steering wheel, Automotive design, Center console, Car, Sky

The nature of their work often necessitates operating in high-traffic areas, typically on the shoulder of the busiest highways. Every day, they face the very real possibility of a speeding car veering too close, a lapse in attention causing a disaster. It's not just about the inconvenience of a fender bender; it's a matter of life and death.

One of our own, shares his personal account of how a simple act of ignoring the law led to a life-altering incident.

Every day is different on the job. You never know what situation you're walking into. I was once hit by a car. The car that hit me came under my front door and started pulling me down. Because my door was open it basically threw me away. He hit me so hard it bent the front tire of my 450 tow truck".

To this day, Tovey explains he still has knee issues. "I don't have my ACL or my MCL, they're not connected. I was off for four or five months - they recommended longer but I said "I gotta get back to work". The surgeon told me "well you must really love your job, normally people are like 'I don't want to go back to work' ". I was like "Yeah, I wanna go back. It's awesome, I love it," he said.

Each one of us has a role to play in this vision. As drivers, we must internalize the 'Slow Down, Move Over' law until it becomes a reflex, not a mere regulation. For every CAA member in Atlantic Canada, it is a pledge to protect those who stand on the thin white line, often being the only barrier between a safe arrival and a catastrophic outcome.

The road ahead may be long, but it's paved with the intention to protect our tow truck drivers and members alike. Let's ensure that those who help us on the roadways are also helped, in turn.

Slow Down, Move Over is not just a law, it's a lifeline — and it's time we recognize its significance.