AMA asking drivers to slow down when passing operators

EDMONTON (660 NEWS) – The Alberta Motor Association is calling on drivers to slow down when passing tow truck drivers, following an incident where one of their operators sustained non-life threatening injuries after being struck by an oncoming motorist.

The incident happened just after 12:30 on Friday in Edmonton’s northwest, an AMA worker was placing traffic cones on the road while responding to several vehicles that had slid into the ditch. A passing driver struck him with their side mirror. He was taken to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

“This is all too frequent of an occurrence that our tow truck drivers deal with,” said Jeff Kasbrick, Vice-President of Government and Stakeholder Relations, AMA. “Every 14 minutes AMA tow truck operators respond to a high risk call.”

He adds, “drivers need to slow down and change lanes to help reduce the dangers operators face everyday.”

AMA provides their operators with ongoing safety training, safety vests, traffic cones, and other measures to help protect workers, however, Kasbrick believes it needs to go further and has asked Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation, to step in.

“We have met with the Minister of Transportation and the Alberta Government to request that we are able to add flashing blue lights in addition to amber,” said Kasbrick. “Blue lights, in combination with amber, is seen as highly visible that alerts drivers in low light and inclement weather conditions.”

Kasbrick is also urging the government to extend the slow down and move over legislation to all lanes of travel in the same direction.

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