“ Working on the side of the road is always dangerous ,” says Tib Pereira , a CAA Manitoba roadside tow operator . And the numbers back him up .

A 2015 RCMP study found that over 90 percent of motorists failed to slow down for an emergency vehicle , like a tow truck — even though it ’ s the law .

Manitoba ’ s Highway Traffic Act lays out the rules of the road very clearly : When approaching a fire truck , ambulance , police car — or tow truck — on the roadside with its emergency lights flashing , the law says :

• If the posted speed limit is less than 80 km / h , motorists are required to slow down to 40 km / h .

• If the posted speed limit is 80 km / h or higher , motorists are required to slow down to 60 km / h .

• On a multi-lane roadway , drivers are required to move into the other lane that is not adjacent to the stopped vehicle .

• If they are on a single-lane roadway ,

they should pass only when it is safe to do so .

Unfortunately , not everyone follows the rules — and often with dangerous consequences . One of the first times Pereira was on a roadside assistance call , he was positioning his tow truck to block the scene for a fellow tow operator . And he was nearly hit — twice : “ I was forced to put the vehicle in gear and drive into a snow bank , otherwise I would ’ ve been crushed ,” he says .

CAA tow truck driver Cody Nelson has an equally harrowing story . A couple of years ago , he was responding to a vehicle that had gone into the ditch on Winnipeg ’ s Perimeter Highway during a white-out blizzard . “ As soon as I finished the call , a semi rear-ended a garbage truck just 10 or 15 feet from my truck — I barely got out of the way . It was someone

driving too fast for the road conditions ,” Nelson says .

Since 2014 , legal penalties have increased for Manitoba motorists who fail to slow down and move over , starting with a fine of $ 300 and two demerit points , up to a maximum limit of $ 2,000 , and / or a one-year driver ’ s licence suspension . In spite of these repercussions , the RCMP study found that one out of every six vehicles driving by an emergency vehicle did so at a speed of 100 km / hour or more . CAA Manitoba and tow operators like Pereira and Nelson agree that awareness is growing , but drivers still need to pay more attention to their speed and what is happening in front of them .

It ’ s our responsibility as motorists to give responders space to do their jobs as quickly — and as safely — as possible .

thomas fricke