Preventing roadside deaths involving first responders (emergency medical service, law enforcement, and firefighting personnel), roadside assistance providers (vehicle towing personnel, mobile mechanics, emergency roadside technicians, and safety service patrollers), and those operating in work zones are of high priority for California.
Roadside crashes are preventable if drivers slow down, move over safely with regard to traffic conditions, and pay close attention to their environment. California vehicle code (CVC) 20002, or the Steer Clear Law, requires that the driver involved in a crash where damage occurred to any property, including other vehicles, stop the vehicle immediately at the nearest location that will not impede the safety of other motorists or disrupt traffic.
California also requires drivers to move, pull over, or take caution as to not create a hazard or impede traffic. California vehicle code (CVC) 21809, also known as the “Move Over” law, was enacted in 2007 and amended first in 2009 and then 2021. It aims to create a safer environment for persons associated with certain authorized first responder and Caltrans vehicles stopped alongside roadways near traffic by requiring drivers to move over a lane, or if unable to do so safely to slow down, when approaching the stationary vehicle. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) seeks to increase awareness of highway safety laws such as California’s “Move Over” law with public education efforts including a safety campaign in partnership with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
Roadside assistance providers (RAPs) help others when a crash occurs or if a vehicle breaks down. They are particularly vulnerable to fatal or serious injury when struck by drivers traveling at high speeds.
Data source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (2024). Roadside Assistance Providers Fatally Struck by Vehicles at the Roadside: Incidence and Characteristics, figure 7.
In January 2024, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety published a technical report analyzing the outcomes and characteristics of 123 RAP fatalities struck by drivers at the roadside in the United States from 2015 to 2021.
It found that 94.3% of RAP fatalities occurred outside of a vehicle on the shoulder, roadside, or in the travel lane, 88.6% of RAP fatalities were in locations with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or higher, and 62.6% of RAP fatalities occurred when lighting conditions were dark.
Specialized training for RAPs, particularly to increase education around safety, such as avoiding working on the traffic-facing side of a scene, may help to prevent roadside fatalities. Increased public compliance with “Move Over” laws may also help prevent crashes and fatalities occurring roadside.
The California Traffic Incident Management (CA TIM) Training is provided through Caltrans to increase knowledge surrounding safely managing traffic incident scenes. Upon training completion, participants are expected to apply pertinent codes to activities and tasks related to traffic incident management. This training contains information specific to the State to supplement the Federal National Highway Institute (NHI) National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Responder Training. The NHI TIM Training covers topics like scene safety, safe vehicle positioning, command responsibilities, and traffic management, and must be completed prior to the CA TIM Training.
Data source: National Operations Center of Excellence. (2024). TIM Responder Training, page 2.
*Rates are as of November 2023
Data Source: National Operations Center of Excellence. (2024). TIM Responder Training, p5
The figures in this section refer to fatalities that occurred in crashes involving a parked or working vehicle.
Data Source: FARS 2018 – 2021 Final File & 2022 ARF
The following summary refers only to crashes involving a parked or working vehicle in California in 2022.
| Ranking | Counties | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 74 |
| 2 | San Bernardino | 21 |
| 3 | San Diego | 19 |
| 4 | Fresno | 15 |
| 5 | Riverside | 14 |
Data source: 2022 FARS ARF
Data Sources: FARS 2022 ARF
Note: Urban and Rural areas are defined in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) based on the boundaries decided by the US Census Bureau which considers population and housing density.
Data source: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2022; ii) California Public Road Data 2020. pp. 15-17, Table 4 2020 HPMS.
| Ranking | County | Traffic Stops per 100k Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tehama | 4.6 |
| 2 | Lake | 3.0 |
| 3 | Fresno | 1.5 |
| 4 | Napa | 1.5 |
| 5 | Merced | 1.4 |
Note: Rankings are based on unrounded fatality rates.
Data source: 2022 FARS ARF
Data sources: 2022 FARS ARF