An awareness event was held at the Prince Albert Salvage Centre on Tuesday evening to encourage drivers to always slow down when passing first responders on the highway and ensure the safety of everyone on the road.
The Slow to 60 roadside safety event was a collaborative effort between SGI Salvage and Gateway North Towing, along with the fire department, RCMP and local tow companies.
“We thought letting the public see what first responders do when they’re working on the highway might inspire some people,” said SGI’s Michaela Solomon. “[First responders] need some space and some safety to do this stuff. Ultimately, when they’re doing their job on the side of the highway, it’s to keep us all safe.”
The evening included a vehicle extrication demonstration by the Prince Albert Fire Department, an airbag deployment exercise and a rollover simulation by the Prince Albert RCMP.
“If you see tow trucks operating on the side of the road, slow to 60 and give them the space that they need to do their job,” said Solomon.
“We just think that with the proper care and attention, all collisions can be avoided.”
According to SGI’s most recent data, in 2021, there were 53 collisions in Saskatchewan involving first responder vehicles such as ambulances, fire or police vehicles. Forty-four of those collisions resulted in property damage and nine resulted in people being injured.
