Winter road conditions increase the risk of car accidents and vehicles going off the road.
7 Action News took a behind the scenes look at the dangerous conditions crews deal with while clearing accident crash and towing vehicles.
It is the law to move over for an emergency vehicle, but any tow truck driver will tell you, the majority of drivers don’t.
“One out of ten,” said tow truck driver Dion Hastie.
Hastie said that maybe one out of ten drivers moves into the other lane, but even that estimate might be a stretch.
"Just move over and out of the way, regardless if it's the law or not, it's the right thing to do. When you see somebody working, why would you drive that close?” asked Hastie.
7 Action News cameras accompanied Mike Fields with Excellerated Towing and Recovery while he was towing a minivan off the side of I-96 in Livonia.
He said the conditions were what he considers ideal.
"This is not rush hour, there's no accidents, it's not dark, everything is high visibility,” said Fields.
But most drivers didn’t move over or even slow down. Trucks and cars whipping past, close enough he could have reached out and touched one.
"Everyone still maintains that lane,” said Fields.
Add snow, ice and darkness, and things get even scarier.
"As the weather gets worse and the driving conditions get worse, our lives are at a higher risk,” said Fields.
Just a few weeks ago, dash cam video caught a tow truck driver making a miraculous dash for survival, when his truck was hit on the ramp from the southbound Southfield freeway to eastbound I-96.
"Please move over,” said Hastie. It’s a plea tow truck drivers hope others will heed.
