In Texas, Heather Haenes, who lost both her legs in a roadside crash, is now a strong advocate for expanding the state's 'Move Over' laws. In light of National Move Over Day tomorrow, she emphasizes the importance of this expansion for the safety of all road users.
Currently, Texas law requires drivers to change lanes or slow down for stopped emergency and utility vehicles, but not for ordinary vehicles in distress. Haenes, supported by AAA Texas, aims to change this, stating, "It was just a pure accident of someone going a little too close, a little too fast, and needing to move and hit us, so it could have been avoided," in a report by KSAT.
The alarming statistics emphasized the urgency of Haenes's advocacy, with AAA reporting that an average of 24 emergency responders are killed each year in roadside incidents. However, the true number of roadside worker fatalities is believed to be higher due to state police often misclassifying these victims as "pedestrians" in crash reports. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that 89% of these crashes occur in areas with speed limits of 55 mph or higher, posing a serious risk to those working near fast-moving traffic, as per San Angelo Live.
Focusing on individuals like Haenes, who told San Angelo Live, "I’m just very lucky that it was just limbs, so mobility was my disability," it becomes piercingly clear that individuals who find themselves stranded or working by the roadside need increased protection, an understanding ratified by the fact that 60% of those workers have faced near misses.
