This week we are recognizing Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) 2023. 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has sponsored the initiative to bring visibility to the risk roadway responders face on the job every day. The United States experiences nearly 7 million motor vehicle crashes every year. Law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), public works, transportation, towing, and other responders put their lives on the line to keep roads and motorists safe during those incidents.

What is Crash Responder Safety Week?

In 2016, traffic incident management (TIM) responders and organizations learned about the FHWA’s National Traffic Incident Responders Awareness Week (NTIRAW). Over the years, those responders and organizations leveraged this unique opportunity to share valuable road safety messages. 

In 2021, FHWA changed the name of this initiative to Crash Responder Safety Week to provide responders and the general public with a more engaging title. This new name became the launching point for educational campaigns that support one important goal — to save the lives of traffic incident responders and drivers. 

Why Crash Responder Safety Week Matters

Crash responders protect those who protect you. They face life-threatening risks every day, but those that happen roadside are the most preventable. A traffic incident responder is struck and killed nearly every week, More traffic incident responders sustain life-altering injuries. When a vehicle or emergency personnel is struck, it can put a long-term strain on limited resources that service broad community needs.

Accidents on the road can be a matter of life or death for drivers and their passengers. But emergency personnel and roadside professionals need space to do their jobs safely and effectively. We can only go home safely if these responders are protected. Drivers giving professionals the room to work is key to that.  

How HAAS Alert Supports Crash Responder Safety Week

HAAS Alert’s Safety Cloud® service  has become a standard in roadway safety. Digital alerts from Safety Cloud notify drivers in advance of the presence of emergency fleets on the side of the road, giving them more time to slow down and move over compared to traditional lights, sirens, and other analog alerting tools.  

When drivers have timely alerts inside their vehicles, they’ll have critical extra to move over and slow down. This ensures the safety of emergency responders and workers while keeping drivings in accordance with the law. 

During Crash Responder Safety Week and every other day of the year, HAAS Alert is dedicated to working towards a safer and more connected roadway for everyone, but that starts with education. The FHWA has established, in cooperation with the National CRSW Committee, the  CRSW Campaign Toolkit. It helps the alignment of national, state, and local organization support of CRSW, press outreach, and social media engagement with others across the country. You can do your part by reading up on the Move Over laws and best practices in your state. When you’re armed with the right knowledge, you can contribute to keeping our crash responders safe.