'Crash Responders Safety Week' has officials reminding Michigan drivers to pay attention on the road
DETROIT (FOX 2) - It's Crash Responders Safety Week, which is a chance to bring awareness to those who put their lives on the line while working in dangerous conditions. It is also a reminder to slow down, and not drive distracted while on the road.
This week is a time to focus on protecting the people who risk their lives to keep the roads clear and safe. In Michigan, officials are highlighting the importance of the ‘Move Over’ law and how drivers can all help prevent tragedies.
FOX 2 spoke with Matt Spencer, who lost his son Keegan, who was only 25 years old, in one such instance. He was hit on the side of the road while helping to tow someone.
"It’s unfortunate that a young distracted speeding driver took his life," Matt Spencer said. "Keegan wasn’t even in the roadway, and it killed him instantly."
It was devastating for his entire family, including a young daughter who would never see her father again.
"Keegan’s 16-month-old daughter was with him that day, she was going to work with him," Matt said.
Every second counts when a crash happens, but the responders who clear those scenes face dangers of their own. Law enforcement, tow truck drivers, too many people who have to work close to traffic are killed or injured every year.
"I could sit here and tell you story after story," said Dennis Richards, director of the Safety Service Patrol Program "We’ve had, you know, vehicle strikes, we've had about 50 of our vehicles struck, just in the last 6 years."
Michigan’s Move Over law requires drivers to slow down by at least 10 miles per hour below the speed limit and move over for emergency vehicles with flashing lights. It’s something simple we can all remember to do to save lives.
"Weather never causes a traffic crash, it just doesn't," said Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw. "Drivers always cause a traffic crash. Because we know this because in June, when it's 80 degrees out, we have the same type of traffic crashes that we will have tomorrow, because of people’s risky driving behavior."