Public Safety
Slow Down Move Over

AAA: Huge Percentages of Workers on Roads Get Hit or Have Near Misses With Passing Vehicles

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An astounding 60% of roadside workers say they’ve experienced a near-hit, and an astonishing 15% have been hit by a passing vehicle, according to a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study. In the wake of Thursday’s Cromwell crash where a firefighter and state police officer were injured, the release of the Foundation’s latest research is timely, said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. Another state police officer was injured by a passing motorist earlier that morning in a separate Route 15 crash in Hamden. — an announcement from AAA Northeast

The latest AAA research also reports certain roadside measures, including the use of truck-mounted electronic message signs, could induce drivers to comply with Move Over laws. “Helping stranded motorists on the side of the road shouldn’t be one of America’s most lethal jobs,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman.

Public Safety
Night Police Lights CT State Police on Facebook March 30-17 uploaded 06-20-17

Another Emergency Responder Struck on a State Roadway by a Passing Vehicle

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So, it has happened again: the parked vehicle of an emergency responder, assisting a disabled motorist, is struck on a major Connecticut roadway. — an announcement from AAA Northeast

The latest incident occurred Thursday night when an officer in Orange was called to Marsh Hill Road, Orange for a vehicle fire. News reports state when the officer left his cruiser to assist the driver he was hit by a passing car. The unidentified officer has been hospitalized, reports said. This situation again drives home the fact: many Connecticut drivers still aren’t heeding the state’s Slow Down, Move Over law, says AAA Northeast.

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SUV Crash I-95 Slow Down Move Over Law AAA Northeast 02-20-17

AAA Northeast: Remember, Drivers — CT Has a ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ Law for Passing Accidents

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Since early January, there have been at least a half dozen or more near-hits or actual collisions with emergency vehicles on Connecticut’s interstates. In the wake of these incidents — the latest occurring Sunday night on I-95 in Guilford —AAA Northeast urges motorists to be aware of Connecticut’s “Slow Down, Move Over” law, that requires drivers to slow down and, if possible, move over, when they see emergency vehicles parked on the road’s shoulder. ____________
— an announcement from AAA Northeast, the American Automobile Association that includes western Connecticut, among its regions
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Since early January, there have been numerous situations in which state police officers, emergency vehicles, and tow truck drivers have faced brushes with death on Connecticut highways after they stopped to offer assistance to injured or disabled motorists. “How many times do close calls, injuries, or fatalities have to occur before drivers understand that the law requires you to slow down?” said Fran Mayko, a AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “Emergency personnel put themselves in harm’s way daily to assist those in need.