Tow truck driver Pedro Perez knows that every time he steps out of his truck along a busy roadway, there is a risk he may not make it home.
When you do this job, you have to assume that your life is on the line, Perez said. You cant get too comfortable. Comfortable, thats when things happen.
Ahead of National Move Over Day, Lexington police and AAA Bluegrass are reminding drivers to slow down and give roadside workers and stranded motorists room to safely do what they need to do.
Perez, a tow truck driver and roadside technician, said he has experienced several close calls, from drivers passing dangerously close to his truck to motorists changing lanes toward him instead of away.
Sometimes, he said, doing his job requires lying on the ground to hook up a vehicle while traffic passes just feet away.
Sometimes theres no shoulder and, you know, your legs are out there on the side of the road, these cars going past you, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80 miles an hour depending on where youre at, Perez said. Theres a risk every time youre out there.
Lexington Police Lt. Chris Van Brackel has seen that danger firsthand during his 29 years with the department.
Van Brackel recalled one incident in which a semi struck the drivers side mirror of his police cruiser while he was writing a ticket. More recently, he was helping with a broken-down vehicle when a nearby crash sent another car onto its side.
You hear the crash, look over to the left and see the bottom of a car coming right past you, Van Brackel said. It was a pretty scary experience right there.
What Kentucky's Move Over law requiresKentucky's Move Over law has been on the books since 2003. Van Brackel said it has been expanded over the years and now protects more than police officers, firefighters and tow truck drivers.
When approaching a vehicle stopped along the road with flashing lights, drivers should move over a lane when it is safe to do so. If they cannot safely move over, they should slow down.
That includes motorists who are stranded along the roadway with their hazard lights on.
It could just be your car with a flat tire on the side with your hazard lights on, Van Brackel said. Now you are protected as well while youre trying to change that tire.
Lori Weaver Hawkins with AAA Bluegrass said drivers also need to eliminate distractions and stay focused on the roadway, particularly when approaching someone stopped on the shoulder.
AAA cited Kentucky State Police data showing 190 crashes in 2025 involving people approaching or leaving vehicles along the roadside, working on vehicles or otherwise working near traffic. According to Hawkins, 12 people were killed in those crashes.
When you see those flashing lights, thats a human being out there who is doing their job, who is helping others in need, Hawkins said. You need to slow down and move over, if its safe to do so, that way they can also get home to their loved ones at the end of the day.
National Move Over Day is observed Oct. 17, but police and AAA stress the message applies every day of the year.
For Perez, giving roadside workers a little extra room comes down to remembering who is standing outside that vehicle.
Everybody needs help from time to time, Perez said. That could be you out there tomorrow and I could be out there trying to help you.
