A one-year pilot project will allow tugboat drivers in Alberta to add blue lights to their vehicles to improve driver safety.
Previously, blue lights were strictly limited to police vehicles in Alberta.
Saskatchewan was the first province to allow towing lights. The law was passed in 2017, a month after a driver died while answering a call in a snowstorm.
One of Greg Wilson’s drivers was sent to hospital last December after a crash in Parkland County. The owner of APL Towing and Recovery then renewed calls for policy changes.
According to Wilson, this is still a problem they deal with every day.
Another driver collided with this tractor on the shoulder of Highway 16 in December. The owner of the towing company hopes that the blue and amber lights will improve driver safety in the future. (Submitted by Greg Wilson)
“Drivers have always been pretty good at moving or slowing down,” Wilson said. “But there are still the same number of people who don’t seem to care. We need to have eyes in the back of our heads.”
A second driver was also hit in the winter. Wilson said his injuries were more serious than those of the first driver, but he also managed to recover.
The additional security measures that owners are sometimes forced to take also affect their business, Wilson said. Sending a “blocking truck” has become a common part of towing work, especially on higher-speed roads. A second truck will join to ensure they can have the space needed for safe operation.
Wilson says maintaining staff safety is key, but the workforce, gas and reduced response capacity in other jobs are doing their part.
“It’s literally killing business,” Wilson said.
“I know a lot of people who have a hard time, and putting another truck on the road means the customer will pay more, unless it’s a courtesy of the company if they can afford it.”
He hopes the blue lights will be enough to allow tug operators to work without the need for extra trucks, but that comes down to drivers on Alberta roads.
“It only takes one person not to delay, to cause a big accident,” he said.
Research shows that the combination of amber and blue light is one of the most effective when trying to attract the attention of motorists, according to Jeff Casbrick, vice president of advocacy and operations at the Alberta Automobile Association (AMA).
He told CBC in a 2021 interview with CBC’s Radio Active, adding that the organization had lobbied the government for more than three years. Kasbrick said at the time that AMA drivers answered high-risk calls on a daily basis.
As of December 2019, AMA data show at least 36 near-leaks and 14 incidents involving tow trucks.
In a statement outlining the pilot’s approval, the province said it was also considering allowing the snowplow lights.
Alberta Transportation figures show 128 collisions with government snowplows between March 2018 and March 2021.
The one-year pilot project for trucks will begin on June 30th.
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