MONTAGUE, Mich. -- Gov. Rick Snyderhas signed legislation that protects all emergency vehicles, as well as utility vehicles, pulled over on the side of the road. Before, the law included law enforcement and first responders, as well as tow trucks and other emergency vehicles with red flashing lights.
It's good news for tow truck drivers like Andrew Heykoop with Eagle Towing in Montague.
“Now it actually covers tow trucks exclusively, regardless of what color their lights were,” Heykoop said.
You now have to switch lanes or slow down to 10 miles below the posted speed limit for tow trucks, garbage trucks, utility vehicles, or maintenance vehicles.
You might remember back in 2015, a Muskegon tow truck driver was hit by a car while clearing pile-ups on 31.
Luckily, that driver survived. But Heykoop says he has close calls all the time while working.
“It really depends. It’s probably 60/40 against, on who actually slows down and moves over. It's really crazy. Some people care, some people don't," Heykoop says.
Now, if you're caught not moving over you could get a $400 ticket. It's something Heykoop hopes changes things for drivers like him.
“Every person has had someone that they’ve known, or heard about, that’s been seriously hurt, or even killed,” Heykoop said.
