As National Traffic Incident Response Week comes to a close, let’s re-commit to looking out for all those who are looking out for us! And we want to thank our first responders – Seattle Police, Seattle Fire and SDOT’s Seattle Response Team (SRT) – for the work they do every day to keep our streets and roadways clear of traffic incidents – putting their own safety at risk. We need your continued help to keep them safe!
Recognizing our Seattle Response Team
We appreciate our SRT all year-round, but this week we took some extra time to give them a special thank you (and we had a pizza party!)!
Celebrating our SRT! Left to right: Julius, Sonia, Karen, Genesee, Patricia, Malaeimi, Mary, Notae, Kneishia, Monroe, Jarode, Mike, Rodney. Back row: Annette, Gary, Joe, Shaian. Certificate presented by SDOT Chief of Staff Genesee Adkins and Maintenance Operations Division Director Rodney Maxie.
Three of our SRT members: Mike, Patricia and Gary.
Helping our Incident Responders Help You
Let’s remember – Seattle’s first responders are counting on us to be alert whenever we see flashing lights, emergency vehicles, and incident response crews in the roadway. Unfortunately, secondary crashes involving emergency workers make up about 20 percent of all incidents, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Our state also recently passed a distracted driving law to help reduce and end all traffic-related fatalities, including those involving the community with the most to lose.
Drivers:
- Slow Down and Move Over when passing by an incident scene to provide a protective buffer for you, responders, and the motorists behind you
- Nearly 13% of the firefighters and police officers who die in the line of duty are killed in vehicle-related incidents
- Traffic incidents are the number one cause of death of EMS/EMT responders
- Traffic incidents are the leading cause of death for police officers
- You can get a ticket if you do not slow down and move over
- If you can Steer it, Clear it
- Many drivers think they should not move their car if they are involved in a fender-bender or crash
- Not true – it actually puts you, your cars and other people’s lives at risk
- If (and only if) your car is drivable and there are no injuries, you should move your car to the shoulder or nearby safe place off of the road
- Know your state laws about what to do in a traffic incident
Everyone:
- Share this information with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and community leaders
- Host a Vision Zero presentation in your community, and help us end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030