The Reality of Roadside Work
I've been working roadside for over 20 years, and I can tell you with certainty: every call is potentially dangerous. You're working in an environment designed for vehicles moving at highway speeds. Drivers are distracted, tired, or impaired. Weather is often poor. Visibility is limited. One mistake, one moment of inattention, and someone gets hurt.
The good news is that most roadside accidents are preventable. They happen because operators skip safety steps, don't wear proper gear, or position themselves poorly. This guide covers the essentials—the gear and procedures that keep our team safe every single day.
Visibility: Your First Line of Defense
If drivers can't see you, they can't avoid you. Visibility is the foundation of roadside safety. We start every scene by making sure our trucks and team are visible to approaching traffic.
Scene Lighting: Deploy lights immediately upon arrival. We use wireless light bars that set up in under 30 seconds. Full scene illumination is non-negotiable, regardless of time of day. Even during daylight, we deploy lights to increase visibility. At night, proper lighting is critical—it's the difference between a driver seeing you and hitting you.
Truck Positioning: Position your truck to protect the work area. Ideally, your truck should be between the disabled vehicle and approaching traffic. If that's not possible, angle your truck at 45 degrees to the traffic flow, with hazard lights flashing. This creates a visual barrier and gives approaching drivers more time to react.
Reflectors and Markers: We carry reflective markers and place them 100 feet behind our work area. This gives approaching drivers additional warning and helps them understand there's a hazard ahead. In poor visibility or at night, these markers are critical.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Every member of our team wears proper PPE on every call, regardless of how routine it seems. PPE is non-negotiable.
Hi-Vis Apparel: We wear ANSI Class 3 hi-vis vests on every roadside call. These vests are designed to be visible from 1,000+ feet away, even at night. They're inexpensive and potentially life-saving. We buy quality vests that are durable and comfortable—our team actually wears them without complaint.
Hard Hats: For recovery operations, hard hats are essential. Chains can snap. Equipment can fail. Objects can fall. A hard hat protects against head injuries that could be fatal. We require hard hats on every recovery operation.
Work Gloves: Heavy-duty work gloves protect against cuts, abrasions, and chemical exposure. We use leather gloves with reinforced palms. They're durable and provide good grip even when wet.
Eye Protection: Safety glasses protect against debris and sparks. We keep multiple pairs in each truck and require them during any operation involving chains, straps, or power tools.
Positioning and Awareness
How you position yourself during a roadside operation significantly impacts your safety. We follow strict positioning protocols on every call.
Stay Out of the Traffic Lane: Never stand in an active traffic lane. Position yourself on the shoulder or behind your truck. If you must work near traffic, position yourself so you can see approaching vehicles and move quickly if needed.
Maintain Situational Awareness: Constantly monitor traffic. Don't get so focused on the tow that you lose awareness of your surroundings. We train our team to work in pairs when possible—one person focuses on the task, the other monitors traffic.
Communication: Use hand signals and radios to communicate with your team. Never assume someone knows what you're doing. Clear communication prevents accidents.
Weather and Environmental Hazards
Weather significantly impacts roadside safety. Rain reduces visibility and makes surfaces slippery. Fog creates visibility hazards. Wind can affect vehicle stability. We adjust our procedures based on weather conditions.
Rain and Wet Conditions: Wet roads increase stopping distances for approaching vehicles. We increase our visibility measures—more lights, more markers, more reflectors. We also slow down our work pace and focus on safety over speed.
Fog and Low Visibility: In fog, we deploy additional warning lights and markers. We position our truck further back from the disabled vehicle to create more distance between our team and traffic.
Wind: Strong wind can affect vehicle stability during towing. We're more cautious about vehicle positioning and take extra care with strapping and securing loads.
Equipment Inspection and Maintenance
Safety equipment only works if it's properly maintained. We inspect all safety gear regularly and replace anything that's damaged or worn.
Light Batteries: We charge all light batteries daily. A dead light is useless. We also carry backup lights on every truck.
PPE Condition: We inspect hi-vis vests for tears or fading. Faded vests are less visible. We replace them annually, regardless of condition.
Markers and Reflectors: We check reflectors regularly to ensure they're clean and reflective. Dirty reflectors don't work.
Training and Procedures
Safety isn't just about having the right gear—it's about having the right procedures and training. We train every team member on roadside safety procedures before they work their first call.
New Hire Training: Every new driver goes through a 40-hour training program that includes roadside safety procedures, equipment use, and emergency response. We don't cut corners on training.
Regular Refresher Training: We conduct quarterly safety reviews with our team. We discuss near-misses, review procedures, and reinforce best practices.
Recommended Safety Products
Lighting: TowMate's Light Duty Magnetic Tow Light - We use TowMate wireless light bars for scene illumination. They're reliable, fast to deploy, and provide excellent visibility.
Hi-Vis Apparel: We source our hi-vis vests from industrial safety suppliers. Look for ANSI Class 3 certification and durable construction.
Reflective Markers: [LINK TO SAFETY EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER HERE] - We carry professional-grade reflective markers and deploy them on every roadside call.
The Bottom Line
Roadside safety is about discipline and consistency. Use proper lighting. Wear proper PPE. Position yourself safely. Monitor traffic. Maintain your equipment. Follow procedures. These simple practices, applied consistently, prevent accidents and keep your team safe.
I've worked thousands of roadside calls over 20 years. The operators who are still here—who haven't been hit, injured, or worse—are the ones who follow these procedures every single time, regardless of how routine the call seems. Make safety your priority, and you'll go home safe every night.
More Safety Resources
Explore our Operator's Toolbox for comprehensive guides on safety gear, recovery equipment, and best practices for professional towing operations.
About the Author
Josh is the owner and lead operator of Advanced Towing & Recovery in Garden City, Idaho. With over 10 years of boots-on-the-ground experience in light and medium-duty recovery and off-road rescue, plus 25 years as a professional mechanic, he has worked thousands of roadside calls in all weather conditions. He believes that safety is not negotiable and has built his operation on the principle that proper procedures and equipment prevent accidents.