NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — October 15 is National Move Over Day and AAA Kansas is reminding drivers that it's important to keep workers and anyone else on the side of the road safe.
"We are using this as a reminder, not only that day, but every day, to always look for, especially, emergency responders, law enforcement, towing operators, construction crews, even people dealing with a broken down vehicle on the side of the road."
With 1,245 work zone crashes across Kansas in 2021, that was an average of 3.4 crashes every day of the year. While 963 of those crashes were property damage only, six people were killed and 387 were injured, and most of those people were motorists.
"Move over a lane if you can," Steward said. "Slow down, as well, to protect those people. Those roadside workers, they are set up in their office, if you will, sometimes operating just a few feet away from speeding traffic. We want to make sure that they get home safely to their families."
Between 2013 and 2020, work zone fatalities increased 45%.
"We have, within the AAA family, have lost a number of employees, tow truck operators and contractors, just in the last year and a half or two. It happens very regularly. It happens with law enforcement officers being struck on the side of the road. It's just an important reminder to always move over and give those folks a safe place to work."
Move Over laws exist in all 50 states. AAA and other traffic safety advocates have been instrumental in the passage of laws to better protect tow truck drivers, road construction workers and other first responders. The hope is to extend that to motorists with mechanical breakdowns in future years.