Every
minute of every day, emergency responders across the country work to help save
lives at the scene of traffic incidents. But every year hundreds of emergency
responders representing fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services,
towing and transportation agencies are struck and either injured or killed
while responding.
To raise
awareness of the dangers these emergency responders are exposed to and to
remind drivers of their obligation to use caution when approaching a traffic
incident, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has declared Nov. 13 – 19
as Traffic Incident Response Week.
In 2015,
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a 7.2 percent increase
in roadway fatalities over 2014. In 2016, another 6 percent jump was reported.
Emergency responders work at each one of these scenes and unfortunately, are
sometimes victims of secondary crashes caused by inattentive drivers.
KDOT, the Kansas Highway Patrol and partner agencies
across Kansas remind drivers to move over for any emergency or maintenance
vehicle with flashing lights.
The
Kansas Move Over law requires drivers on four-lane roads or highways to move
over when passing emergency vehicles. On two-lane roads, drivers should slow
down and proceed with caution.
To help
emergency responders in Kansas, a FHWA Traffic Incident Management multi-disciplinary
training course is presented to promote a shared understanding of the
requirements for quick incident clearance and best-practice safeguards for
responders and motorists. More than 3,000 emergency responders in Kansas have
received the training.
Motorists
are encouraged to always slow down, move over and give emergency responders
room to work when approaching a traffic incident.
