Previously, blue lights were strictly limited to police vehicles in Alberta. Saskatchewan was the first province to allow the lights on trailers. The law was passed in 2017 a month after a driver was killed while answering a blizzard call. One of Greg Wilson’s drivers was taken to hospital last December following an accident in Parkland County. The owner of APL Towing and Recovery then renewed calls for policy changes. According to Wilson, it continues to be a concern they face on a daily basis. Another driver crashed into this trailer on the shoulder of Highway 16 in December. The owner of the trailer company hopes that the blue and orange lights will improve the safety of the driver in the future. (Submitted by Gregg Wilson) “Drivers have always been decent enough to move or slow down,” Wilson said. “But there are still the same number of people who do not seem to care. We need to have eyes in the back of our heads.” A second driver was also hit in the winter. Wilson said his injuries were more serious than those of the first driver, but he was also able to recover. The extra security measures owners have to take from time to time also affect their businesses, Wilson said. Sending a “blocking truck” has become a common part of towing work, especially along high-speed roads. A second truck will be attached to ensure they have the space they need to work safely. Wilson says maintaining staff safety is key, but work, gas and reduced ability to respond to other tasks carry their weight. “It literally kills businesses,” Wilson said. “I know a lot of people who are having a hard time and putting another truck on the road means the customer will pay more, unless it is more courteous than the company, if they can afford it.” He hopes the blue lights will be enough to allow trailer operators to operate without the need for extra trucks, but this is due to drivers on the streets of Alberta. “It only takes one person not to slow down to cause a major incident,” he said. The research showed that the combination of orange and blue light was one of the most effective when trying to get the attention of motorists, according to Jeff Kasbrik, vice president of defense and operations with the Alberta Automobile Association (AMA). He told the CBC in a 2021 interview with CBC Radio Active, adding that the organization had been pressuring the government for more than three years. Kasbrick then said that AMA drivers respond to high-risk calls on a daily basis. As of December 2019, AMA data show at least 36 near-accidents and 14 trailer incidents. In a statement describing the pilot’s approval, the province said it was also considering allowing the lights on snowplows. Figures from Alberta Transportation show 128 collisions with snowplows by the government between March 2018 and March 2021. The one-year pilot project for the trailers will start on June 30.
