Slow Down Move Over Washington Awareness Event & Procession

About this event

As Washington continues to experience serious incidents involving roadside responders, Slow Down Move Over Washington is inviting media outlets, community members, and roadside safety advocates to attend the Slow Down Move Over Washington Awareness Procession on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the Tacoma Dome.

The event will bring together tow truck operators, law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Incident Response teams, road construction and maintenance crews, utility workers, and community supporters to raise awareness about the dangers faced by those working along our roadways.

The message is simple: One roadway. One mission. Everyone deserves to make it home.

A Growing and Urgent Safety Concern

Recent incidents across Washington serve as a sobering reminder that roadside work can become life-threatening in an instant.

On September 13, 2026, a tow truck operator was struck while working along State Route 302 near Belfair in Mason County. The operator was preparing to clear a vehicle from an earlier collision when another vehicle entered the shoulder and struck him. He suffered a broken ankle and was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

On October 21, a Washington State Patrol trooper was injured when a pickup truck struck a marked patrol vehicle during a lane closure on Interstate 90 near Easton in Kittitas County. The trooper was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Just one day later, on October 22, a Washington State Patrol patrol vehicle was struck on northbound Interstate 5 near South 272nd Street in Federal Way. Troopers had been blocking the HOV lane while responding to another collision. The trooper was outside the patrol vehicle and was not injured. The other driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

These incidents follow the tragic loss of Washington State Patrol Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting, 29, who was struck and killed on December 19, 2025, while investigating a collision on State Route 509 in Tacoma.

Each incident represents a sobering reminder of the risks faced by people who work to keep our roads safe. Behind every uniform, service vehicle, tow truck, and roadside work zone is a person with family, friends, and loved ones waiting for them to return home.

These are not just traffic incidents. They are reminders that roadside safety is a shared responsibility, and the consequences of failing to slow down and move over can be devastating.

Bringing Washington Together for Roadside Safety

The November 7 event and procession is intended to unite the people who experience these dangers firsthand and bring their message directly to the public.

Slow Down Move Over Washington is calling on drivers throughout the state to recognize that flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, road crews, and stranded motorists require their attention and consideration.

Washington’s Slow Down Move Over law, RCW 46.61.212, requires drivers approaching certain stationary emergency, tow, and other qualifying roadside vehicles to move over when it is safe to do so. When a lane change is not possible or safe, drivers must slow down as required by law.

Awareness, education, and responsible driving can help reduce preventable roadside tragedies. This event is an opportunity to remind the public that the responsibility to protect roadside workers does not belong to one profession or agency. It belongs to all of us.

Invitation to Press and Media

Slow Down Move Over Washington is asking local and statewide press and media outlets to join us on November 7 and help bring this message to communities across Washington.

Media coverage is essential to expanding public awareness beyond the event itself. By sharing the stories of roadside professionals, documenting the procession, and highlighting the importance of Washington’s Slow Down Move Over law, media partners can help reach drivers who may not otherwise understand the risks these workers face every day.

News organizations, television and radio stations, newspapers, digital publications, photographers, and independent journalists are encouraged to attend. Media representatives will have an opportunity to capture the gathering of participating vehicles and roadside professionals and, subject to participant availability, speak with organizers and individuals who work along Washington’s roadways.

We welcome coverage that helps educate the public, encourages safer driving habits, and reminds every Washington driver that the person standing beside the road deserves to make it home, too.

Event Details

Event: Slow Down Move Over Washington Awareness Procession

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026

Location: Tacoma Dome, Parking Lot G, Tacoma, Washington

Parking and staging open: 9:00 AM

Driver meeting and group photo: 11:45 AM

Procession departure: 12:00 PM

Return: Tacoma Dome parking area

The procession route and traffic coordination details are being finalized in coordination with the appropriate agencies. Additional information will be shared as details are confirmed.

Participation is welcomed from tow and recovery operators, law enforcement, fire and EMS, WSDOT Incident Response, road construction and maintenance crews, utility workers, roadside professionals, and community supporters.

Elected officials, Washington’s governor, and other state and local leaders are also invited to attend and participate in support of roadside safety awareness.

A Statewide Message That Cannot Wait

Slow Down Move Over Washington believes that every roadside professional and every stranded motorist deserves to be protected from preventable danger. This procession is about more than vehicles traveling together. It is about the people behind the lights, the families waiting at home, and the communities affected when someone does not return from a day of work.

We cannot undo the tragedies that have already occurred. We can, however, work together to prevent future ones through education, awareness, responsible driving, and a renewed commitment to roadside safety.

We invite Washington to stand with us, and we invite the media to help carry this message across the state.

One roadway. One mission. Everyone deserves to make it home.

About Slow Down Move Over Washington

Slow Down Move Over Washington is a public awareness initiative dedicated to promoting roadside safety and educating Washington drivers about the importance of slowing down and moving over for emergency responders, tow operators, road crews, and others working along our roadways. Through community engagement, education, and outreach, the initiative seeks to make Washington’s roads safer for everyone.

From Slow Down Move Over Washington