Tow operators and safety groups press for study of blue/alternative lights after near‑misses and fatalities
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Summary
Tow-operator advocates described multiple near-misses and two recent operator deaths and urged lawmakers to authorize a working group to study rear-mounted blue or other high-visibility lighting and other measures to protect roadside workers.
Tow operators and safety advocates told the Public Safety and Security Committee a study is needed before changing lighting rules that govern roadside recovery. Selena Khan of Life on the Line described near-death incidents while loading vehicles on shoulders and urged lawmakers not to wait for another fatality before adopting a practical fix.
"Tow operators are killed at a staggering rate, one every six days in the United States," Khan said. She recounted an August 2024 scene on Route 15 where she had to lie in an active travel lane to hook a vehicle and where passing traffic ran over her ponytail—an incident she said could have been fatal.
Witnesses, including AAA Northeast and insurance-trade representatives, supported a working group to test colors, placement and enforcement approaches. AAA cited studies showing improved motorist compliance when clearer visual cues are used and noted slow-down/move-over compliance gaps: in observed footage, 36% of vehicles neither slowed nor moved over when required. The National Insurance Crime Bureau urged adding an insurance-industry representative to the working group to discuss consumer confusion and color choice (NICB suggested green as one alternative used by some agencies).
Committee members praised the collaborative approach and asked the panel to include police, DOT, insurers, tow professionals and labor representatives when designing the working group. Lawmakers said they want data-driven recommendations that protect operators while avoiding public confusion with emergency colors reserved for law enforcement.
