Special rules for tow trucks

Published 1:30 am Monday, January 2, 2017

Brent Waters, of Bothell, asks: “I was wondering about the ‘status’ of tow trucks. I’ve seen the drivers on the phone, driving much below the speed limit, weaving, etc. Also, using their red lights to simply pull out in traffic … I know they have a job to do, but let’s be safe.”

Sgt. Mark Francis, of the Washington State Patrol, breaks it down for us:

– They are exempt from the cellphone law if they are responding to a disabled vehicle

– If they are impeding traffic (five or more cars on a single-lane road) due to their slow driving/hauling, they’re required to pull to the right shoulder when it is safe to do so just like everyone else

– They can’t be weaving

– They can only use their red lights as they are arriving on scene, at the scene or leaving the scene (unless we specifically ask for a priority response and they need to use their lights to get through a big backup to get to the scene)

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