Press Release: Slow Down – Move Over – Be Safe – November 9-15, 2020

Press Release                                                                                                     

For Immediate Release

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

– “Slow Down – Move Over – Be Safe” – 

Greater Hartford Traffic Incident Management Coalition Promotes National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week – November 9-15, 2020 

 

Hartford, Connecticut – The Greater Hartford Traffic Incident Management Coalition (GHTC) is announcing that November 9-15, 2020, is National Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week, and encourages everyone to make safety a priority – to “Slow Down – Move Over – Be Safe.”

Traffic incidents include just about anything that happens on or near a roadway that impacts traffic, such as motor vehicle crashes or disabled vehicles – all common occurrences on our roadways. These traffic incidents usually result in traffic congestion and almost always require a response, whether by lifesaving first responders – police, fire and medical crews – or by assistance operators and repair crews – tow trucks, roadside assistance services, DOT maintenance crews.  These responders are vulnerable during response activities, and can, and have been severely injured or killed by careless and inattentive drivers passing through traffic incident scenes.

The GHTC wishes to remind everyone, especially motorists, that we all have a role to play to help improve safety for our traffic incident responders, and that in Connecticut you must:

Slow Down- Move Over

The “Move Over” law, CT General Statute Section 14-283b, requires motorists to slow down and move over for emergency and maintenance vehicles and disabled motorists if safe to do so.  This allows for a degree of separation between speeding thru-traffic, and incident responders or disabled motorist, thereby increasing safety for everyone.

Move It

The “Move It” law, CT General Statute Section 4-224(d), requires motorists involved in an accident on a limited access highway with property damage only to move their vehicles out of the roadway if the vehicles are drivable, and it is safe to do so.

Additionally, in honor of our state’s Traffic Incident Responders, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is officially proclaiming the week of November 9-15, 2020, as Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week in Connecticut.  A copy of the proclamation is available at 2020 Governor Lamont Signed Proclamation

 

To get more information on the Greater Hartford Traffic Incident Management Coalition efforts please visit our site at https://crcog.org/transportation-planning/operations-and-management/traffic-incident-management/

 

 

Contact:

Terri Thompson

Principal Transportation Planner

Traffic Incident Management Program

Direct 860-724-4242

Email- tthompson@crcog.org

About Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG)—Working Together for a Better Region

CRCOG is established under the Connecticut General Statutes as a voluntary association of municipal governments serving the 38 Metro Hartford municipalities.  Our members have collaborated for more than 50 years on a wide range of projects related to planning, transportation, service sharing, and cooperative procurement to benefit our towns individually and the region as a whole.

 

 

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