(Burnaby, B.C.): On December 13, 2006, Vernon Towing employee, Ernie Semkiw was struck and killed by a passing van while assisting a disabled vehicle on behalf of BCAA. His tow truck’s amber lights were activated at the time. While Ernie died doing what he loved best – helping other people – his passing symbolized so much more...

It was the cold, harsh reminder to vulnerable emergency roadside workers that this too could happen to them. Worse still, no such law existed to protect them. Until now, B.C. has only had laws for driving in construction zones; none to protect emergency roadside personnel.

Today’s announcement of the new "Slow Down, Move Over" regulation has brought welcome relief to many emergency roadside providers, including BCAA who has actively advocated for safety regulations on behalf of its Road Assist employees. 

"We applaud government for listening and introducing these new measures," says BCAA’s Road Assist Director, Ken Cousin, noting BCAA’s discussions with government and alerts on similar regulations elsewhere in Canada and the U.S.

"Speeding and inattention are major issues on our roads and highways, and emergency workers deserve all the protection we can give them," adds Cousin. "Slowing down and moving over will create better response times for drivers to deal with unexpected roadside activity, and more importantly, save lives."

BCAA looks forward to working with government in raising the awareness of the new laws with its members and customers.

The new "Slow Down, Move Over" law requires drivers to slow down to 70 km/hr if on a highway with a speed limit of 80 km/hr or greater, or slow down to 40 km/hr if on a road or highway with a speed limit of less than 80 km/hr. Additionally, drivers are required to move over into another lane of traffic, if safe to do so.

For more information about the new law, please refer to www.gov.bc.ca.

About BCAA
BCAA is dedicated to meeting the needs of its members and customers throughout B.C. and the Yukon, connecting them with a team of membership, automotive, travel and insurance professionals. With over 793,000 members and $130 million in revenues, BCAA is the largest organization of its kind in B.C. and the fourth largest CAA-affiliated association in Canada. For the past three years, BCAA was named one the 50 Best Employers in Canada by international HR consultants Hewitt Associates and the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business magazine. To learn more about BCAA’s products, services and member advocacy, visit www.bcaa.com. For more information on the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation visit www.tsf-bcaa.com.

For further information, please contact:

Jennifer Timm,
BCAA Media Relations Advisor
Tel: 604 268 5342; Cell: 778 228 8859
Email: jennifer.timm@bcaa.com