The Alberta government is allowing tow trucks and other roadside operators to continue using blue lights for the next five years.
The province launched a pilot project last June, allowing the optional use of flashing blue lights on snowplows, tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles contracted to the province to increase visibility and safety while working on Alberta highways.
For years, members of the industry, including the Towing and Recovery Association of Alberta and the Alberta Motor Association (AMA), had been asking for permission to use blue lights. They even got the support of the Alberta Chiefs of Police.
“Adding blue lights on tow trucks has been a simple change with a profound benefit,” said AMA president and CEO Michelle Chimko.
“It has improved visibility and safety on the roadside for our province’s essential tow operators and the Albertans they’re responding to.”
The province said a recent AMA study indicated of those who have seen blue flashing lights in use on a tow truck, there was 86.9 per cent agreement that they are more visible than amber alone.
On Monday, the Alberta government said it will continue to allow the flashing blue and amber lights to be used for an additional five years.
“We are extending these projects to make sure these important safety measures remain in place so those who work on our highways can go home safely to their families at the end of their shifts,” said a statement from Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen.
The changes are in addition to other new rules under the Traffic Safety Amendment Act coming into effect Sept. 1 to help protect roadside workers, to include snowplows and highway maintenance vehicles, in addition to tow trucks and emergency vehicles like police cruisers.
Under the changes, when passing a roadside vehicle with flashing lights on, drivers will be required to slow down to 60 km/h or the posted speed limit (whichever is lower) in all lanes going in the same direction on divided highways and when traveling in either direction on single lane roadways.
(Right now, only traffic in the adjacent lane has to slow to 60 km/h when passing stopped emergency vehicles with their lights flashing.)
Fines will also double under the changes. Currently, the penalty for passing an emergency vehicle on the side of the road can range from $136 to $826, depending on the speed.
The province said since December 2019, there have been 17 serious roadside incidents and at least 39 near-misses involving Alberta tow trucks and passing vehicles.
Between March 2018 and March 2021, there were 128 collisions involving snowplows contracted by Alberta Transportation.
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