- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
As winter approaches, so does inclement weather and increased holiday travel. This busy holiday season also brings a higher risk of traffic accidents.
Each year, nearly 7 million traffic crashes occur in the United States. Every one of these crashes put the lives of traffic incident responders at risk. These include law enforcement, fire and rescue, tow trucks, emergency medical services (EMS), and other responders such as the MassDOT Highway Assistance Program, sponsored by MAPFRE Insurance. Traffic incident responders work on the roadside to clear stalled vehicles, roadway debris, and other incidents to maintain road safety.
Crash Responder Safety Week, November 18-22, is an initiative that helps to remind the driving public of the need to slow down and move over when approaching a traffic incident on the roadway. The responders, and the public’s safety depends on everyone following important roadway guidelines.
To help keep roadway responders and the public safe around traffic incidents, you can:
Adhere to Move Over Laws: These laws require drivers to slow down, and if possible, move over to give responders safe space on the road. This is essential for protecting everyone’s safety on the road.
Remain Alert: When there is traffic incident response activity on the road, it’s important to stay focused and avoid distractions, especially when the weather might affect your driving.
By following these simple steps, we can all contribute to creating a safer road environment for everyone, especially our traffic responders. Stay safe, slow down around incident scenes, and enjoy the holiday season!
The MAPFRE Insurance-sponsored MassDOT Highway Assistance Program is on patrol to help all motorists, including motorcyclists, on the highways. Patrol operators monitor some of the state’s busiest highways around Metro Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Cape Cod (seasonal). The Highway Assistance Patrol covers 13 major state roadways and interstates, the Emergency Service Patrol covers the Mass Pike (I-90) from New York to Boston and the Incident Response Operators cover the Metropolitan Highway System and tunnels. The Highway Assistance Patrol is in service Monday–Friday between 6 a.m.–10 a.m. and 3 p.m.–7 p.m. During holidays, there are extended routes in heavy-traffic areas. On I-90, and in Boston’s tunnel system, assistance is provided 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Written by,
Your friends at MAPFRE Insurance
