Congressman Taylor Introduces Towing Bill to Improve Road Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) today introduced the Towing Safety Act, which will allow tow truck operators to transport a large, disabled vehicle to a nearby location instead of being required to disassemble it on the sides of busy highways. The Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA) is a supporting organization of this bill.

“As someone who ran my own company for decades, I would never want to put the lives of my workers or first responders at risk on the side of the road,” said Congressman Taylor. “Accidents and breakdowns on the shoulders of interstates and highways create hazardous conditions for drivers, tow truck operators, and police officers who are responding to an incident. My bill will save lives and ensure safety on our nation’s roads for all drivers by giving tow truck drivers flexibility in responding to wrecked or disabled vehicles in the case of an emergency.” 

The Towing Safety Act would temporarily waive federal length requirements for tow trucks responding to a wrecked or disabled vehicle on interstate highways so they can tow the affected vehicle to a safe location. At the direction of local officials, tow truck operators would be allowed to transport a wrecked or disabled vehicle to a safe location, avoiding having to break down the truck in risky conditions on the side of the road. This would better ensure the safety of motorists, tow truck operators, and law enforcement officers responding to incidents, as well as drivers passing by.

Specifically, the Towing Safety Act would:

• Waive the federal length requirements for tow truck operators responding to, returning from, or transporting a wrecked or disabled vehicle, with the requirements that:
  • The tow truck remains in-state and can safely operate on highway bridges along the route determined by the transportation agency of jurisdiction, and;
  • The vehicle being transported complies with existing federal law and regulations.

Background:

Under current regulations, combination vehicles, which are defined as truck tractors with a semitrailer, or a trailer designed and used specifically to carry automobiles or boats in specially-designed racks, may not exceed a maximum overall vehicle length of 65 feet or 75 feet, depending on the type of connection between the tractor and trailer, when driving on interstate highways. However, with semi-trucks being a standard of 70 feet in length, tow truck drivers are rarely able to transport semi-trucks without disassembling them in order to comply with federal regulations.

Operating on the side of busy roads creates a high-risk environment for drivers, tow truck operators, and law enforcement officers. Between 2015-2021, 123 tow truck operators were killed by passing vehicles, according to the American Automobile Association.

The Towing Safety Act will allow tow truck operators to safely transport wrecked or disabled vehicles while preventing unnecessary injuries and deaths of operators.

The full bill text is available here.