A bill sponsored by 19th Legislative District state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, to increase traffic safety for roadside emergency workers was passed by a vote of 49-0 out of the Senate on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 5023 will now be sent to the state House for potential passage.
The bill would allow tow-truck operators to use rear-facing blue flashing lights at accident scenes. Named for Longview-area tow truck operators who were killed in 2021 during a pair of crashes on Interstate 5, the Arthur Anderson and Raymond Mitchell Tow Operators Safety Act is the last part of a comprehensive safety proposal Wilson introduced during the 2022 legislative session. The other parts of the proposal were either passed last year or were implemented by state agencies. Those include a new emergency-zone speed limit of 50 miles per hour where the regular speed limit is 50 miles per hour or greater and funding for state agencies to develop driver-training materials, highway signage, and a public-awareness campaign to promote Washington’s slow-down, move-over law.
“When it comes to blue lights — I ask that we all see the light for safety,” Wilson said on the Senate floor on Wednesday.
Wilson said SB 5023 recognizes tow truck operators have one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. According to a statement Wilson released after the bill’s passage, tow truck operators have a death rate 15 times higher than the national average, based on data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The bill allows tow trucks and other emergency responders to use highly visible blue flashers when they reach roadside emergency zones. State law currently allows those vehicles to to use red flashers on the way to an accident. According to Wilson, the red-blue combination creates a visual effect motorists have difficulty ignoring.
“Passage of this bill in the Senate today sends a strong message that safety on our roadways is a priority for Olympia, and that we need to respect the ‘everyday heroes’ who work within inches of speeding traffic,” Wilson said. “These first responders risk their lives every day.”
