President's Message - March April 2020
Are you familiar with the slogan, “Move Over, Slow Down”? If not, please allow us to share the notion behind it…as your safety and that of others matters to us.
“Move Over, Slow Down” is actually an Indiana law intended to protect the driving public, emergency responders, and others who work along roadways. Indiana law requires motorists to approach cautiously when an emergency vehicle is stopped with emergency lights flashing. Motorists must change lanes away from the emergency vehicle if such a shift can be done safely. And if not, they are to reduce their speed 10 mph under the posted speed limit and proceed with caution.
Emergency vehicles included in this statute include police vehicles, ambulances, fire trucks and rescue equipment, highway incident-response vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles, utility service vehicles, and vehicle recovery equipment including tow trucks. AAA respects and values the safety of all emergency personnel, including our own roadside service technicians and tow truck operators, employees and contractors alike, who put themselves at risk servicing any call.
As North America’s largest motoring organization, AAA services about 33 million roadside needs annually. And since 1902, has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers and those who are there to serve them. That advocacy for safety has led AAA to recently join with the nation’s first responders on public information and legislative campaign aimed at reducing deaths and injuries among roadside workers and stranded motorists. To protect roadside workers and improve highway safety, we advise motorists to be aware and practice caution, remain alert and avoid distractions, watch for emergency roadside vehicles with lights flashing, and be prepared to change lanes if possible and slow down if not.
While violating this law can result in penalties including fines and license suspension of up to two years, more importantly, it can lead to injury or death. Sadly, about 200 roadside workers and first responders lose their lives at the roadside annually and hundreds more are injured while tending to disabled vehicles.
Together, we can make our roads, our members, and our service providers safer.
