Dallas

Dramatic Video Shows Near Misses for Tow Truck Drivers

AAA Texas expects 3.5 million Texans to hit the road for Thanksgiving weekend and is warning drivers to watch out, slow down and move over for tow trucks and other emergency vehicles along the roads.

"They get pretty close," said Fernando Ramirez, a tow truck operator with Armand Towing Service in Arlington. "Just yesterday we had one of our drivers that nearly got clipped on the side of the road from a distracted driver."

"I've had mirrors knocked off, I've had the side of my truck hit before," said Ramirez.

Dramatic video from AAA Minneapolis shows many drivers caught on camera coming within inches of Emergency Roadside Assistance workers helping stranded drivers there.

"We're talking about vehicles moving very fast next to people just a couple of feet away at times," said Doug Shupe, with AAA Texas.

In Texas, the "Move Over, Slow Down" law requires approaching drivers to stay away from emergency vehicles, or at least slow down.

"It's real simple: get out of that lane closest to that vehicle," said Shupe. "If you can, drop your speed significantly, to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit."

Tow trucks were added to the law several years ago, but many drivers ignore it.

"Even with our warning lights on, cones set aside, they still feel it's OK to be on the right lane closest to us," said Ramirez. "And that's what makes it very dangerous for us being out there."

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, AAA Texas expects to help 30,000 stranded drivers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area alone.

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