q&A
Steer Clear
Tow operator Harvey Britton on the delights and dangers of his job
By Paul Gallant
Harvey Britton loves his
job. As a tow operator, he
enjoys driving the open
road, helping others and
being able to catch the sunrise on early morning calls.
But over the course of his
16-year career, he’s had a
few bad days too. Careless
drivers often make him fear
for his life when he’s working on the side of the road.
He’s seen motorists zip right
between him and the vehicle he’s towing, endangering
himself and others.
of the poor conditions—he
shouldn’t have been on the
road in the first place, but
should have at least slowed
down to respect the worksafety zone. Fortunately,
I didn’t get hurt and there
wasn’t much damage to my
vehicle, so I could continue
to work.
What do you do to
increase your own safety?
What do you enjoy most
about your job?
The best thing is helping
people and meeting folks
you wouldn’t normally
meet. They’re pretty happy
to see me when they’ve
broken down on the side of
the road. You’re coming to
help them and it puts them
in a better mood.
been sitting there for a little
while—sometimes far from
home. We always make sure
to make them feel comfortable and safe.
How does your service
stand apart?
What’s the toughest
part of the job?
We’re always polite and we
are always concerned about
where the driver is going,
what happened to them,
and why they need help.
We make sure our trucks
are clean, inside and out.
And we remember they’ve
The biggest challenge is
staying alive out there
because we’re always aware
of being hit on the side of a
highway. You’re constantly
looking over your shoulder:
Is that car coming down the
road going to move over?
NATHAN joNES
Move Over!
Drivers should treat
a tow truck like any
other emergency vehicle. After checking
their mirrors, drivers
should slow down and
move over, changing
lanes if possible.
While Saskatchewan
law requires motorists
Have you had any close
calls on the roadside?
One time we were in a
snowstorm and there was an
ambulance, with a patient
aboard, stuck in a ditch.
I had my warning lights
on—as did the ambulance
and the RCMP who had
arrived on the scene. As
I’m winching, I hear tires
sliding on the ice. I jump
out of the way and a car
hits the corner of my truck.
The driver saw us but he
just couldn’t stop because
to slow down to
60 km/hour when
passing a working
tow truck with its
safety lights flashing,
drivers should further
When we are hooking onto
the car, we arrange pylons
to create a safe zone. If we’re
doing a tire change, we’ll set
up pylons with a sign saying “Tow Truck Ahead.” We
always make sure we park
taking up part of the lane
with the truck, which will
have its lights on. And we
turn our wheels so if the
truck gets hit, it veers away
from where we are. We wear
protective clothing and try
to position ourselves so we
can see oncoming traffic.
Is winter more dangerous?
Visibility is worse, so yes.
But even in summer, with
clear roads, drivers can be
just cruising along, maybe
towing a recreational vehicle—which takes more effort
to move over and stop—so it
can also be risky.
reduce their speed
in poor weather
conditions. Slowing
down for a moment
adds barely any time
to the length of a trip.
Need roadside
assistance? Call
1-800-222-4357, visit
caask.ca or use the
CAA mobile app
CAA SASKATCHEWAN
WiNTEr 2016
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