Re-Entering Highway Traffic

By Randall C. Resch    

An east coast tow company transported a disabled vehicle from the highway’s shoulder. While slowly merging into fast moving highway traffic and over-head lights “on,” a motorist rear-ended the slow-moving carrier and was killed instantly. Regardless that the motorist crashed into the carrier, a wrongful death lawsuit ultimately blamed the carrier’s operator. 

This narrative is specific to highway scenarios where law enforcement isn’t on-scene. A slow-moving tow truck creates a considerable danger that demands precise movement on the tow operator’s part.  

AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety reported approximately twelve percent of interstate (highway) deaths were the result of crashes occurring on emergency shoulders. It’s estimated that as many as 600-individuals are killed annually with thousands more injured while situated on highway shoulders.  

Referring to the opening fatality scenario, the approaching motorist failed to slow-down and move-over; it was their improper reaction to SDMO (Slow Down Move Over) that caused their death. 

Worse yet, a tower’s survivability is challenged by some state laws prohibiting tow trucks from driving in-traffic with over-head ambers, strobes and rotor lights activated. 

Because on-shoulder crashes are frequent occurrences, consider these suggestions for tow trucks and carriers re-entering traffic from right shoulders or center medians:  1. For SDMO “reaction” by motorists, tow trucks and carriers must be parked inside the shoulder (stationary) with over-head, emergency lights ”on"2. From parked, at-idle positions, look rearward in the tow truck’s mirrors for approaching traffic  3. Start driving forward; emergency light’s “on,” looking for a substantial gap between the tow truck and approaching traffic  4. Activate the truck’s turn-signals to indicate your direction of travel and the lane you intend to occupy   5. While remaining inside the shoulder’s white-line, accelerate and gain speed being aware of vehicles or obstacles that may be ahead on the shoulder. Watch for locations where the shoulder lane runs-out or pinches to a point  6. With “Head on-a-swivel”, accelerate and estimate a realistic gap in-traffic to re-enter traffic  7. Anticipate that same direction traffic may change lanes toward you at the same time you’re re-entering traffic   8. Increase truck speed to approximately 50-miles-per-hour while watching following traffic. Merging from center-median or slow-side shoulder requires the truck’s speed to reasonably equal traffic flow   9. Use turn signals. Keep arms inside the truck’s window for fear a motorist could crash into the tow truck   10. When a substantial gap in-traffic is available, carefully merge into the next lane with the turn-signal still activated as speed increases   11. Merge only when safe to do so. Once re-entry is safely made way into traffic-lanes (as allowed by state law), turn over-head emergency lights “off” unless the tow or load (for safe travel) impedes traffic  12. Never assume they see you 

This is a great topic for your safety meetings. Re-entering traffic lanes from stopped, slow-rolling positions requires total attention and perfect depth-perception.  

This narrative may seem basic and unimportant, but it’s a necessary component of defensive driving and tow truck operations. I guarantee another unfortunate traffic collision like the opening scenario will happen again.