Tow trucks, ambulances, fire engines, police vehicles and other roadside service vehicles lined the eastbound and westbound shoulders of 16 Avenue N.E. between Barlow Trail and 36 Street Thursday evening as part of Calgary’s annual Slow Down Move Over campaign reminding drivers to give roadside workers space.
Emergency vehicles parked along the shoulders with flashing lights activated as traffic passed the display.
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The annual awareness campaign brings together police, paramedics, firefighters, tow operators and other roadside service crews to highlight the risks workers face while assisting motorists along busy roadways.
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Emergency vehicles and tow trucks line 16 Avenue N.E. in Calgary during the Slow Down Move Over awareness campaign on March 5, 2026. Photo / Anna Ferensowicz / Discover Airdrie
“Whether you’re a tow truck driver, fire, EMS or police, if we’re at the side of the road working, we didn’t just show up there,” said Cliff O’Brien, chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. “We’re there to deal with somebody’s emergency.”
The fund was created after Calgary Police Const. John Petropoulos died in 2000 during a police search of a warehouse when he stepped onto a false ceiling and fell through.
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Members of the Calgary Fire Department and other roadside responders take part in the Slow Down Move Over awareness event along 16 Avenue N.E. in Calgary on March 5, 2026. Photo / Anna Ferensowicz / Discover Airdrie
O’Brien said first responders often work in unpredictable environments, responding to emergencies wherever they occur, including along busy highways.
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Emergency vehicles with flashing lights line the shoulder of 16 Avenue N.E. during the Slow Down Move Over safety campaign in Calgary on March 5, 2026. Photo / Anna Ferensowicz / Discover Airdrie
“We want people to slow down to 60 kilometres an hour or less,” he said. “And if it is safe to do so, they should be moving over.”
Tow operators say working along busy highways remains unpredictable, even when safety precautions are in place.
Andrea Allegretto of ATR Logistics Ltd., an Airdrie-based towing company that took part in the event, said crews sometimes experience vehicles passing extremely close while they are working along the roadside.
“We’ve had vehicles pass so close that our side mirror has been clipped,” Allegretto said.
She said tow operators will sometimes use a second truck positioned behind the work area to create a buffer between traffic and crews working along the roadside.
“We do have to have a blocker vehicle sometimes to protect the person working on the side of the road,” she said.
Under Alberta’s roadside worker safety rules, motorists approaching a stopped emergency or roadside vehicle with flashing lights must move to the far lane when it is safe to do so. If changing lanes is not possible, drivers must slow to 60 kilometres per hour or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower.
Drivers who fail to comply can face a $243 fine and three demerit points under Alberta’s traffic safety rules, while speeding fines are doubled and can range from $163 to $991 depending on speed.
O’Brien said driver distraction remains a concern, particularly when motorists attempt to record incidents while passing emergency scenes.
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A Calgary Fire Department rescue truck is parked along 16 Avenue N.E. during the Slow Down Move Over roadside safety campaign in Calgary on March 5, 2026. Photo / Anna Ferensowicz / Discover Airdrie
“What we don’t want to see, and we see regularly unfortunately, is people pulling out their phone and recording somebody’s tragedy,” he said. “It’s distracting and it’s dangerous.”
He said reminders like the annual campaign remain necessary even as awareness of roadside safety laws grows.
“Sometimes we’re busy with our lives and we forget that there are people dealing with an emergency at the side of the road,” O’Brien said. “Just that reminder is important.”
Jeff Hribnak, operations manager with City Wide Towing, said the message to motorists is straightforward.
“It takes five minutes out of someone’s time to slow down,” he said.
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