A roadside rally to bring awareness to the dangers faced by tow-truck drivers is set for Beaverlodge on March 7th, as part of the province-wide “Move Over Alberta” campaign.
Founder Steven Wilson says they hope to continue to push drivers to slow down, and keep a safe distance from tow truck drivers on the sides of roadways, and eventually, hopes to push the government into action to protect them further.
“Having blue and amber lights would help, because they can distinguish us from everyone else on the road, and I hope this will speed up the process and get a bill passed.”
The Government of Saskatchewan passed legislation in April 2017 which allows tow truck drivers to mount blue and amber lights on the tops of their vehicles to enhance safety and visibility. The unanimous vote came just a month after driver Courtney Schaefer was struck and killed by a semi-trailer while responding to a call near the town of Esterhazy on March 7th of that year.
In Alberta, then Grande Prairie—Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale proposed Bill 215, which would have allowed tow truck drivers in this province to install blue and white safety lights, but it was never moved through the legislature. Wilson says it shouldn’t take this long to try and enact what he calls a common-sense bill.
“For whatever reason, as soon as somebody dies doing their job, it seems to pass quicker than before somebody dies.”
The event in Beaverlodge, which will be hosted locally by the Beaverlodge Fire and Rescue Team, is scheduled to take place from 7-8 p.m. on March 7th at a location to be determined. For more information on the event, you can head over to the Mover Over Alberta Facebook page.