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Island tow truck companies push to use different coloured lights after operator struck by vehicle


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Not to impugne Mr Lequesne and Mr Aflack's effort to go after colored lights in tow truck's light bars, this occurred in Canada a few years back and may not have reached all of Canada's provinces.

 

I attended a recent safety summit where a prominent industry personality said, "Tow trucks will never have blue in their light-bars." I challenged his statement by simply asking ... why not?

 

The Government of Saskatchewan introduced and passed legislation to improve safety for tow truck operators. Canada's Traffic Safety Amendment Act permits blue lights to be used in conjunction with amber lights on tow trucks in memory of Canada's, Courtney Schafer, killed in March 2017.

 

Link:  https://www.auma.ca/advocacy-services/resolutions/resolutions-index/blue-lights-tow-trucks

 

While blue is said to be reserved for law enforcement, there's solid reasoning how "blue" would help to possibly change a motorist's behavior in the big picture of SDMO. But, the industry, its associations and the whole of tow business owners have failed to lobby, force change and fight to bring change to light bar colors that currently reflect old motor vehicle code laws. Current law doesn't recognize the sheer number of first responders and tow operators killed in on-highway strikes.

 

Combined with the color of blue requires tow operators be formally trained with proof of safety training in their company's file. But remember, with the change in law comes regulation and enforcement right?

 

If my friend Linda Unruh could initiate legislation to honor her son in-creating New Mexico's, "Bobby' Law", in less than one-month, why can't a combination of blue and amber lighting be added to tow truck light bars in other states and provinces? Creating some kind of standard could help  lessen the repeated slaughter of tow operators.                         R.

 

 

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Randall C. Resch

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I agrea Animosus and salute that Wyoming allows tow trucks to run red and blue combinations. But, in the reality of tower's killed in Wyoming, I only find two towers killed by pedestrian strike since 1922. I'm more inclined to urge big city states to change old lighting laws based on total population and number of vehicles on the roadway. Running any combinaiton of blue shouldn't be an ego-thing in today's world.

 

Wouldn't it be a wonderful start to (at least) try and make this industry more standardized than it's current status?

 

To leave old laws in-place and do nothing is a pathetic response. And, colored lights do not negate the fact that there's a bigger picture going on.  I'm all for change where to note the industry has done little to change laws to meet the problems that coincide with SDMO.

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Randall C. Resch

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