The recent Interstate 95 bus crash in Virginia that killed five people and injured dozens more has once again focused national attention on the dangers that exist when vehicles traveling at highway speeds fail to react to changing traffic conditions. Those of us who travel in or with our RVs are particularly at risk for a bad outcome, due in part to the size of our vehicles and longer stopping distances.
While investigators examine what caused the Virginia crash, roadway safety experts say the incident highlights a broader problem occurring every day across America: Thousands of roadside workers, tow operators, emergency responders, construction crews, and stranded motorists are forced to work just feet from moving traffic, often in darkness or low-visibility conditions where a single missed warning can become fatal.
Have you ever blown a tire and had to change it on the shoulder of a busy interstate highway? If so, you know first-hand how vulnerable you feel.
Roadside workers face hazardous visibility challenges
According to the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), roadside workers face many of the same visibility challenges that contribute to thousands of pedestrian deaths each year, particularly after dark when drivers have less time to identify hazards and react.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, roadside assistance providers — tow operators, mobile mechanics, and emergency roadside technicians — are struck and killed nearly four times more often than national crash data captures, because state police forms routinely record them simply as “pedestrians.” Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that fatal pedestrian incidents involving motorized vehicles rose 19% in 2024 alone.
High visibility vests, reflective gear, and warning systems are standard in controlled highway work zones, but roadside recovery and emergency response environments are often less predictable, with shifting traffic patterns and limited physical separation between workers and vehicles. That gap becomes especially critical during summer travel season, when highway traffic increases and roadside incidents are more frequent on high speed roads.
Visibility gear is an important safety tool
The ISEA says visibility gear remains one of the most practical and underused safety tools for protecting workers and stranded motorists in live traffic environments, and is a critical focus now in June during National Safety Month.
For RVtravel.com readers, nearly all of whom are RVers, we suggest two easy ways to help be safer on the road and help keep ourselves and those roadside workers safe. First, watch this Michelin video of what to do in a front tire failure (following your instincts could get you killed!), and carry a safety vest with you at all times. They are available at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Amazon.
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RVT1264b
Thank you for the reminder and discussion, RV Travel. Thank you, too, for the two links near the end of the article. We do travel with an emergency, high-visibility vest in the step well along with triangles and flares. Have a great day and safe travels!
Neal,
Time to get rid of the road flares and use the emergency “puck” style lights. They’re reusable and easily stowable, plus no fire related safety dangers.
For sure Bill: I have 4 in the MH and 4 in my car. Easy to attach to the car with the magnet or place on the road as they are extremely tough to break and have many patterns or flashes to select too. I bought a couple on the Tv ad at $9.95 ea – then Menard’s had them for $4.98 each! So bought 6 more of em!
We lost 2 tow truck operators last year on Route 80 that were helping stranded motorists, sad
Robert: So sad indeed – just doing a job and helping someone! Inattentive driver or distracted for a second or two!!! Sitting or walking on a road with an 80 mph speed limit is really eye opening when traffic passes……..