Law protects tow truck driver safety

NEW SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Every day that Dallas Hayes gets in his tow truck, he's taking a chance with safety. Especially now that snow is starting to fall.

"Sixty to seventy tow truck drivers are killed annually," said Hayes. "The biggest majority of those, large percentage, are killed by passing motorists."

The third-generation driver says his work can be dangerous because many motorists don't move over and slow down for tow trucks.

"A lot of times the police are not available to protect the scene because they're busy doing other things so we're out there by ourselves," Hayes said.

He says drivers go so fast they often don't notice a tow cable stretched across the road.

"If there's no tension on the cable people will drive right over those," explained Hayes. "What it ends up doing is it causes damage to our recover rope and the next time we have a recovery they could break and possibly injure or kill somebody."

The cable can also damage your vehicle.

"If there is tension on the cable and they hit that, their car is going to come to a complete stop and somebody's going to get hurt," Hayes said. 

In 2009 Ohio added tow trucks to the list of protected emergency vehicles. If you don't attempt to give them space you can be cited.

Police say they should be treated like any other stopped vehicle on the side of the road: slow down, change lanes, or even stop if it's a two-lane road.

"Any kind of lights means something basically is going on," said Officer Steve Studzinski of Springfield Township Police. "They need to slow down, use caution, whether they're yellow lights or red or blue."

Last September dozens of trucks drove in the funeral procession for Struthers tow truck operator Paul Macejko, who was killed on the job. That's what Dallas wants to prevent.  "It could happen to any of us," he said.

To prevent that, he says they'll need motorists' cooperation.

"When you do come to a complete stop, just please be patient," Hayes said. "We're working as quickly and safely as possible to get the roadway clear."