Emergency workers put their lives at risk while working along the road.
Drivers are reminded they need to move over to give them space.
Over the past five years, 73 emergency responders were struck while working along Wisconsin’s roads.
“When you see lights flashing ahead, no matter the color, please move over or slow down to create a safe workspace for emergency responders,” said Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan.
“This includes our officers who risk their safety every time they step out alongside the road to talk with a motorist or respond to a crash.”
Crash scenes can turn dangerous quickly with the threat of secondary crashes from drivers not paying attention near an incident.
In 2024, there were 620 secondary crashes in Wisconsin causing seven deaths and 276 injuries.
Many of those crashes could have been prevented if drivers had slowed down and stayed alert around crash response scenes.
Moving over for emergency workers is the law in Wisconsin.
Drivers are required to move out of the lane closest to emergency and highway vehicles with their lights flashing on multi-lane roads.
If it’s a single lane road you’re required to slow down.
