By James Peters

Tow truck operator: ‘Slow down, move over’ message not sinking in

Oct 25, 2018 | 2:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops tow truck operator is speaking out after seeing one too many close calls at the side of the road.

Jordan Brawn, an 11-year employee of Don’s Towing, recorded a video at a work scene at the side of the Trans Canada Highway Wednesday, Oct. 24.

Brawn was attending to a city transit bus that had broken down near the Peterson Creek Bridge.

The video shows very few motorists slowing down or moving a lane away from the shoulder, as per B.C. law.

WATCH: This is what a tow truck operator working at roadside has to contend with. (Video Credit: Contributed / Jordan Brawn)

Two and Out

PETERS: Keeping people cool ain't what it used to be

15h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: The NDP does it to us again

May 15, 2025

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Celebrating National Nursing Week

May 14, 2025

Brawn says he made the video to show his colleagues and remind them how dangerous their jobs can be.

“We do it so often that, I think, we’re a little bit desensitized to it. If you stop and pay attention, it’s quite alarming how close we are to danger,” said Brawn.

“The danger is there. It’s two feet away while we’re trying to do our work. We were hoping that when the laws came in, awareness would go up and we’d see a change. But honestly, we haven’t. Not at all.”

Cpl. Jodi Shelkie of the Kamloops RCMP — which enforces the laws and also works at roadside — agrees.

“As an officer, many times I’ve faced that exact situation where traffic is going by very quickly and, in one situation, they knocked the mirror off of my car, they came so close,” said Shelkie.

WATCH: One of Jordan’s coworkers shot this video of passing traffic last year. (Video Credit: YouTube / Jonathan Kalf)

The law dictates that motorists passing crews at roadside must slow to 70 km/h in an 80 km/h or higher zone, or 40 km/h in a zone with a speed limit under 80 km/h. On multi-lane roads, drivers must leave at least one lane of separation while passing the vehicle stopped with flashing lights.

Shelkie says local traffic members carried out a focused operation on violators last month, having one member nab speeders while a second member cracked down on those who didn’t slow down and move over.

She says the second officer issued 15 tickets, carrying a $173-fine each, in a two-and-a-half hour period.

Shelkie says it could have been more.

“It just goes to show you that people get on the highway, or even in the city, and they’re going where they’re going and not taking into account the people who are on the side of the road, trying to do their job as an emergency personnel or a maintenance vehicle, potentially there could be injuries to them if they hit them.”

Brawn worries that even those who do obey the law aren’t motivated by safety.

“They don’t want to get a ticket. So, you see red and blue (police lights), you check your speed, you move over because that’s the law and you go by so that you yourself don’t get in trouble,” said Brawn. “But it’s unfortunate that getting a ticket is a bigger deal than moving over for our safety.”

From police perspective, drivers tend to slow down only to gawk at accident scenes.

“When our red and blue lights are going and we’ve pulled a vehicle over to give them a ticket for, say, speeding, people are going by us at a very quick pace and at a dangerous pace,” said Shelkie. “If there’s an accident, yes they slow down, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the lights. I think they’re just looking at the accident.”

The most recent rules were amended in 2015, and Brawn says it may be time to make them even more strict.

“That’s a really tough one to answer and we’ve discussed it lots. I hate to say it, but I think maybe a stiffer fine or higher points on your license — something that’s more of a consequence. But it’s a really tough one to try to enforce.”

“We’ve learned to always keep our head on a swivel,” Brawn continued, “and one golden rule for us here at Don’s is we never turn our back on traffic — ever. We just can’t trust the people going by. Not that they’re intentionally doing anything to harm us, but they’re unaware of what they’re doing and just how close to us they are.”

“We’ve been incredibly lucky. Knock on wood a thousand times, we haven’t had any personnel personally struck. I’ve been with Don’s for going on 11 years, and in my time, I can recall at least three times when our vehicles have been struck.”

Not all emergency responders or roadside personnel are so fortunate.

“There have been situations when RCMP officers in Canada have been killed by vehicles going by so closely to their vehicles,” said Shelkie. “It’s a matter of life and death.”