A number of tow truck drivers in British Columbia have been critically injured or killed while providing emergency road service at the side of the road in the last several years.  This is despite having their amber warning lights activated.

Tow trucks have lost visibility to motorists.  In a sea of amber lights used for construction, turning signals on cars, and street lights (which emit an amber hue) - tow trucks are not noticed.  Tow trucks differ from other amber light equipped vehicles (such as construction vehicles) in that they may be blocking lanes or in unusual positions on the road.  Many amber light equipped vehicles benefit from being in pre-planned construction zones with traffic control devices such as cones or flaggers.  No such equipment is available for tow truck operators due to the non-scheduled nature of the work.

Drivers need an indicator that the scene they are approaching is abnormal and not a construction project.  They need to be on the look out for people, debris, and vehicles that may be situated in their path.

Tow trucks in many US states are permitted to operate with colours in addition to amber.  These include Washington State and Oregon where red and amber lights are allowed.  In Missouri, tow trucks are permitted to operate red and blue lights in addition to amber.  Allowing tow trucks to use other light colours is not about taking clout away from the police, fire or ambulance crews, but instead is about allowing motorists to readily identify an emergency situation quickly based on colour.

We petition the Provincial Government to work with the Towing Industry in British Columbia to implement one or more additional light colours for tow trucks operating in an emergency role on the roadside.  This is about the safety of tow truck operators and motorists.