Tow truck operator safety bill passes Senate chamber

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate on Wednesday approved a measure designed to improve safety for tow-truck operators.

“Passage of this bill in the Senate today sends a strong message that safety on our roadways is a priority for Olympia, and that we need to respect the ‘everyday heroes’ who work within inches of speeding traffic,” said Senator Jeff Wilson (R-Longview), primary sponsor of the bill. “These first responders risk their lives every day.”

A release by Wilson’s office stated that Senate Bill 5023 was a two-year effort and named for two Longview-area tow operators killed in 2021 in crashes on Interstate 5.

The release also noted that tow-truck operators have a death rate 15 times higher than the national average, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The bill allows tow trucks and other emergency responders to use rear-facing blue flashers, which are more visible, when they reach roadside emergency zones. State law already permits them to use red flashers on the way to the scene, the release stated. The red-and-blue combination produces a visual effect motorists find difficult to ignore, Wilson said. Wilson’s bill faced opposition from police agencies, however, because Washington law reserves blue for law enforcement vehicles.

“When it comes to blue lights – I ask that we all see the light for safety,” Wilson declared on the Senate floor Wednesday.

The Senate voted 49-0 to pass the measure, which now moves to the House for consideration.