Starting June 30 tow truck drivers in Alberta will be permitted use flashing blue lights on their vehicles as part on ongoing efforts to increase visibility and improve driver and pubic safety, the province announced Friday.
Under a one-year pilot project, operators will have the option of using the blue lights on their emergency vehicles as they respond to calls on highways and other roadways.
“Too many tow truck driver are involved in collisions or dangerous situations because motorists have difficulty seeing them while they’re working,” Minister of Transportation Rajan Sawhney said in a release Friday.
“This pilot project is intended to increase safety for these operators and will help determine the best lighting for tow trucks in Alberta.”
Tow truck operators currently use amber flashing lighting on their vehicles in Alberta.
Jeff Kasbrick is the vice president of advocacy and operations with the Alberta Motor Association. He told Great West Media that research has shown that the combination of amber and blue flashing lights is the most visible colour combination.
“Blue and amber light is the best colour combination in attracting driver attention, particularly in low light and bad weather circumstances,” said Kasbrick.
Other jurisdictions have seen positive results when allowing tow truck drivers to use blue lights, he said.
The AMA has “every confidence” that tow truck drivers using blue lights will become permanent in the province following the pilot project, he said.
Leduc-Beaumont MLA Brad Rutherford advocated for the pilot project through his Private Member’s Bill 207.
“This pilot project will be critical to enhancing roadside safety for not only tow truck operators but the Albertans they are helping,” said Rutherford. “This issue has been supported by stakeholders in the transportation industry and I want to thank all parties involved for their tremendous effort and advocacy.”
Michelle Chimko is the president and CEO of the Alberta Motor Association.
“This change is as simple as it is profound, and it will make a life-saving difference for Alberta’s essential tow operators and the Albertans they’re responding to,” said Chimko.
The pilot project is a “huge step forward in making our industry safer for roadside assistance workers and the motoring public through increased visibility,” said Don Getschel, president of the Towing & Recovery Association of Alberta and Oil Country Towing.
Additional consideration is being given to including snowplow operators in the pilot starting this fall, said Sawhney.
