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First responder media event Nov. 13 to promote Crash Responder Safety Week and Michigan's Move Over Law

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Traffic Incident Management Action Team and the Comstock Township Fire Department are hosting a media event to bring awareness to Crash Responder Safety Week (Nov. 13-17) and Michigan's Move Over Law. The event will highlight the importance of drivers slowing down and moving over for emergency vehicles, as well as safely managing traffic incidents and preventing secondary crashes. First responder vehicles and a traffic incident management demonstration will be available.   

Who:
AAA Michigan
Carrier & Gable
Comstock Township Fire Department
Kalamazoo County Consolidated Dispatch
Kalamazoo County Medical Control Authority
Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office
McDonald's Towing
Road Commission of Kalamazoo County
Rockford Department of Public Safety
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) staff
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, State Fire Marshal
Michigan's Traffic Incident Management Action Team

When:
Monday, Nov. 13, 2023
10 a.m.

Where:
Comstock Township Fire Department
1960 River St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Background:
Each year across the country, hundreds of emergency responders are struck and injured or killed while responding to traffic incidents. Crash Responder Safety Week will focus on teaching everyone that we have a shared responsibility for safely and quickly clearing traffic crashes as well as slowing down and moving over.

Unfortunately, first responders are still being struck and killed or injured at an alarming rate. In 2022, a traffic crash was reported in Michigan every one minute and 48 seconds, resulting in 293,341 traffic crashes. Emergency vehicles were involved in 2,515 of these crashes, including nine fatal crashes and 324 injury crashes.

Safety, emergency, local, and state groups and organizations around Michigan will use the week to educate drivers and local public safety professionals about the dangers of traffic incident response in an effort to prevent injuries and deaths. 

Michigan residents can join the effort by ensuring their vehicle is in good working condition, packing a roadside emergency kit, and remaining in their vehicle until help arrives. When driving near an incident scene, Michigan's Move Over Law requires drivers to slow down to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and move over, if possible. This law applies to stationary emergency vehicles with flashing lights activated, including roadside tow trucks and safety service patrol/courtesy vehicles operated by MDOT. It also applies to garbage trucks, road maintenance, and utility service vehicles that have amber lights flashing.