The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 123 roadside assistance providers were struck and killed by passing vehicles between 2015 and 2021, with tow operators dying at a rate of nearly 43 per 100,000 workers compared to 3 per 100,000 across all other industries, according to the study published in January 2023. Speed, driver distraction, or impairment were factors in the majority of fatal collisions, and 29 providers were killed while standing in travel lanes.
Operator takeaway
43 deaths per 100,000 workers makes towing one of the deadliest jobs in America — print this study and put it in every driver's training folder.