Tow truck drivers raise concerns over people not abiding by 'move over' law - KCRG
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - A tow truck driver pleading for drivers to follow Iowa’s law that says drivers slow down or move over if there is an emergency vehicle on the side of the road with its lights flashing.
Every day, Max Roethlisberger and Alex Langer, of ATS Towing, look forward to helping people on Iowa roadways.
“We’re giving back to the community,” Langer said.
They also look forward to coming home at the end of the day safely. Their profession puts them in a dangerous situation. They said people don’t always abide by the state’s “mover over” law. The law says people need to get into the opposite lane of traffic from the emergency vehicle, if they can do so safely, or slow down.
When a driver fails to do so, it can alarm workers trying to clear the scene of a crash or stalled vehicle.
“It gets to you; definitely makes you pucker up,” Langer said.
Langer knows the dangers of not doing so all too well.
“I was clipped by a semi in the left shoulder,” Langer said. “I was running from it, and it hit me in the shoulder.”
Bob Conrad, a trooper with the Iowa State Patrol, has seen situations like what happened to Langer take a turn for the worse.
“If you cross the white line even just a little bit, I’ve seen it become fatal,” Conrad said.
Conrad worries that with the weather is getting nicer, more cars will be out on roadways. That could mean more accidents or cars on the sides of the roads.
“Think about your safety as well as everybody else’s around you,” Conrad said. “The whole move over law is about keeping people safe.”
The tow truck drivers hope people will start moving over or slowing down when they see flashing lights on the side of the roads.
“We just want to get home safely,” Langer said.
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source: https://www.kcrg.com/2022/03/20/tow-truck-drivers-raise-concerns-over-people-not-abiding-by-move-over-law/
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