| Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) takes place November 13 –17, 2023. Emergency medical services (EMS) and other emergency responders provide care and support to those injured on our roadways due to a crash. These traffic incident responders put their lives at risk when clearing each of the nearly 7 million annual motor vehicle crashes or the broader range of incidents such as stalled vehicles or roadway debris. EMS provides clinical care at 1.5 million of those crashes according to National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) data.
This year’s focus is “Protect Those Who Protect You,” emphasizing the public’s role in keeping responders safe while responders improve the safety for all road users. This recognition effort will honor responders, provide an overview of activities taking place across the country and connect all responder stakeholders to kickoff this important week.
According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Traffic Incident Management (TIM) program, a traffic incident responder is struck and killed nearly every week, and many more traffic incident responders sustain life-altering injuries. When a traffic incident responder or a response vehicle is struck, the impacts are far reaching — putting a greater long-term strain on limited resources that service the broad community needs.
Your Role in Crash Responder Safety Week:
- Encourage traffic incident responders in your community to take the free, 4-hour National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Responder training available online through the National Highway Institute or in person through TIM Coordinators within each State. Nearly 700,000 responders have completed this training to date.
- Make an extra effort this week to increase public education activities to inform drivers about your State’s Slow Down, Move Over law, which requires drivers to slow down, and, if possible, to move over when approaching incident response vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines, tow trucks, safety service patrols and municipal or utility vehicles.
- Public safety and EMS agencies are encouraged to attend the webinar and customize these promotional materials for each day’s theme and share them widely to increase awareness and promote safety on the road.
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