Slow Down and Move Over is an event where emergency responders spread awareness about the importance of laws in place to protect tow truck operators, first responders, and highway workers.
It started as a memorial for Courtney Schaefer, a tow truck driver, who was killed when he was hit by a semi while responding to a call near Esterhazy during a blizzard in March 2017.
At various locations throughout Saskatchewan, between 7 and 8 p.m. tonight, you will see tow trucks, police, RCMP, fire, ambulance, tire trucks and emergency vehicles will be set up with their flashing lights on, in order to pay tribute to all fallen emergency workers.
One of the organizers is Brad Stratychuk with the Roadside Responders Association of Saskatchewan who say every death of a working emergency responder, on the side of a highway, is preventable, “North America-wide, before COVID, there was one tow truck driver killed every six days in North America. And with COVID and less traffic I think, 2020 stats were one two truck driver killed every nine days. One is too many.”
In Saskatchewan on a double lane highway, even if you move into the left lane, you still need to slow to 60 and that includes anyone displaying amber lights or amber and blue lights flashing.
Some of the locations where the trucks will be lining up are:
Langham Scale on Highway 16 west
Dundurn on Highway 11 South
Warman on Highway 11 North
Aberdeen on Highway 41 and 27
Blaine Lake
Springside on Highway 16
Canora/Ebenezer on Highway 9
Craik on Highway 16
Fort Qu’Appelle at Info Booth Hwy10 and Boundary Ave
Qu’Appelle
Moosomin at the scale
Swift Current on Highway 1
Lloydminster on Highway 16
(CJWW)
