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Crash Responder Safety Week 2023: November 13-17

The Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) affords a unique opportunity for every Traffic Incident Management (TIM) community member to make a difference individually and jointly for roadway safety during traffic incidents. “Protect Those Who Protect You” is this year’s theme, with #CRSW. Register for the National Kickoff Webinar for CRSW taking place Monday, November 13 at 1 PM ET.

Review the 2023 CRSW Outreach Toolkit to learn more about social media messaging and other key resources for CRSW 2023. The day-of-week social media themes for CRSW 2023 coordinated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Program and the National CRSW Committee are summarized below.  

Day of Week

CRSW 2023 Social Media Messaging Focus

Monday, 11/13

Protect Those Who Protect You

Tuesday, 11/14

Driver Education

Wednesday, 11/15

Responder Training

Thursday, 11/16

More Than a Crash

Friday, 11/17

Slow Down, Move Over

 

The following resources provide additional information on events and resources related to CRSW:

About Crash Responder Safety Week

Every few seconds, a traffic incident responder puts his or her life on the line to aid crash victims and to safely and quickly clear crashes as well as other traffic incidents that could otherwise result in a secondary crash. Every year traffic incident responders are killed in the line of duty or bear life-long scars from life-altering injuries.

Crash Responder Safety Week affords a unique opportunity for every Traffic Incident Management (TIM) community member to make a difference individually and jointly for roadway safety during traffic incidents. Traffic incident response is a collaborative effort engaging EMS, law enforcement, fire and rescue, public works, towing and recovery, transportation, and other disciplines. TIM communities across the nation come together this week by teaching each other and all road users about our common goal and responsibility for safe, quick roadway clearance. TIM communities use this week to:

  • Remind all road users to slow down, move over, and remain alert when approaching all forms of traffic incident response activity –whether aiding a stalled vehicle, clearing roadway debris, or responding to a crash.
  • Encourage all traffic incident responders to complete the free, four-hour National TIM Responder training.

The Federal Highway Administration began commemorating CRSW in year 2016, although back then it was called National Traffic Incident Responder Awareness Week (NTIRAW). CRSW takes place annually the second full week in November. Today CRSW is used by national associations, state departments of transportation and departments of public safety, metropolitan planning organizations, and local departments of public works, cities, and individual responders to bring attention to traffic incident responder safety. To learn more about CRSW, please visit the FHWA CRSW site.

National Kickoff Webinar for CRSW – November 13, 2023, at 1 PM ET

The National Kickoff webinar for CRSW is hosted by the Federal Highway Administration Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Program. The webinar will honor TIM responders, feature messages from national leaders and on-the-ground responder, and spotlight responder safety efforts taking place this week.

The webinar will also invite responders and organizations across our nation to sign the National CRSW Proclamation. Be sure to register and take part in this signature kickoff event for Crash Responder Safety Week.

All State Planning Webinars for CRSW

TIM professionals, State and local public information and communications officers, and response community leaders are invited to participate in the annual All-State Planning webinar series. Each webinar feature expert(s) related to a key outreach mechanism for CRSW. The series offers a platform for response organizations to learn and share how they intend to use CRSW to advance responder safety.

The FHWA TIM Program team (Jim Austrich, Paul Jodoin, and Joe Tebo) also conducts a roll call, requesting that responder communities in each State highlight their plans to commemorate the week. The FHWA TIM Program Team kindly request highlights be limited to a minute or two. To be considered as a featured presenter in an upcoming All State Planning webinar, please reach out to any of the TIM Team members. Click here [VS2] to register for the year 2024 All State Planning webinar series.

CRSW 2023 All State Webinar Recordings:

  • June 21, 2023 –  This ASW covers the Governor Proclamation processes in Wisconsin and Montana and how States use the proclamation for mass media and social media outreach | View Webinar.
  • July 12, 2023 – This ASW covers how Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey plan for activities such as mass media outreach, mass training, rest area messaging and other CRSW efforts | View Webinar
  • August 9 ,2023 – This ASW covers how Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin plan for the use of their State’s changeable message signs (CMS), and consideration related to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices |   View Webinar
  • September 13, 2023 – This ASW covers Maryland’s social media, television news, mass demonstration, and CMS event planning | View Webinar
  • October 11, 2023 – This AWS will focus on planning local CRSW activities and walk through the resources (e.g., customizable press release, flyer, social media messages, etc.) | View Webinar (coming soon!)

CRSW 2022 All State Webinar Recordings:

  • May 11, 2022 – This ASW covers core CRSW strategies that every State can establish | View Webinar
  • July 13, 2022 – This ASW covers how to leverage mass media outreach channels such as television, radio, talk shows, print news and other creative strategies | View Webinar
  • September 14, 2022 – This ASW shares resources to advance driver education for Slow Down Move Over Law adherence as well as to mitigate distracted driving during CRSW and beyond | View Webinar

CRSW 2021 All State Webinar Summaries:

CRSW 2023 Outreach Toolkit

The FHWA CRSW2023 toolkit includes customizable materials to help organizations promote CRSW:

  • Publishing a CRSW article in your organization’s print or electronic newsletter (customizable newsletter article) in October, 2-4 weeks in advance of CRSW.
  • Record a video message from your organization’s leadership to commemorate CRSW (customizable video script). Use the video message during CRSW on your website and social media messages.
  • Share widely a CRSW2023 flyer (customizable CRSW flyer). Be sure to use an image of responders from your organization.
  • Issue a press release from your organization commemorating CRSW (customizable press release).
  • Use social media (see table below) to promote CRSW. Includes visually impactful images, statistics, or links to relevant video content such as a leadership video message. Be sure to align your promotion, press outreach, and social media engagement with hundreds of other organizations. Using the table below. Use #CRSW when posting on social media.

Day of Week

Social media messaging focus

Monday, 11/13

Protect Those Who Protect You

Tuesday, 11/14

Driver Education

Wednesday, 11/15

Responder Training

Thursday, 11/16

More Than a Crash

Friday, 11/17

Slow Down, Move Over

 

Monday, Nov 13 – Protect Those Who Protect You

The focus for Monday’s social media is bring awareness to CRSW using the theme, “Protect Those Who Protect You.”

Sample social media message for organizations:

  • [YOUR ORGANIZATION] stands with the U.S. Department of Transportation in bringing attention to Crash Responder Safety Week. Protect Those Who Protect You by slowing down, moving over, and staying alert for traffic incidents. #CRSW
  • If your State Governor issued a CRSW Proclamation, highlight the Proclamation using social media – “[YOUR ORGANIZATION] joins Governor [Name] in recognizing the critical role our traffic incident responders play in saving lives and keeping traffic moving. Protect Those Who Protect You by slowing down, moving over, and staying alert for traffic incidents. #CRSW”

Sample social media message for responders:

  • Deliver a message on social media – “As a [YOUR RESPONSE DISCIPLINE], I work roadside to keep all road users safe. This Crash Responder Safety Week, and every week, please respect my workspace by slowing down, moving over a lane, and staying alert when you encounter an incident. #CRSW”
  • Post a video message on social media – focus on your role in clearing roadway incidents and the risks you take while doing so. Close asking all drivers to “Please keep me safe so I can do the same for you. Slow down, move over, and stay alert when you see me at work.”

Tuesday, Nov 14  – Driver Education

The focus for Tuesday’s social media is to (1) communicate with the driver education community to cover State’s Move Over laws, and (2) ask everyone to teach safe driving behaviors around traffic incidents.

Sample social media message for organizations:

  • Does your driver safety education cover your State’s Move Over laws? Teach your students that when they approach stationary responder vehicles, they should reduce speed and, if possible, change lanes to keep our roadside heroes safe. #CRSW
  • Kids, teach your parents about Slow Down and Move Over laws. Reduce speed and, if possible, change lanes to keep drivers, passengers, and roadside workers safe around traffic incidents. #CRSW

Sample social media message for responders:

  • As a [EMS, firefighter, tower, freeway patrol professional, etc.] I teach by example. When I drive, I buckle up, put my phone away, and slow down and move over for all traffic incident responders. Please do the same to keep us safe. #CRSW

Wednesday, Nov 15 – Responder Training

The focus for Wednesday’s social media is to encourage responders complete the National TIM Responder training.

Sample social media message for organizations:

  • Nearly every week, a responder is killed while helping clear a roadway incident. Many more sustain life-altering injuries. [YOUR AGENCY/ORGANIZATION] encourages all responders to take the free traffic incident management training. bitly.com/TIMtrain #CRSW
  • Whether you are an emergency medical services, fire and rescue, law enforcement, public works, towing, transportation, or other traffic incident responder, this Crash Responder Safety Week, get TIM trained (bitly.com/TIMtrain). Do it for your family, your fellow on-scene responders, and all road users. #CRSW

Sample social media message for responders:

  • At every crash scene I use what I learned in the FHWA National TIM Responder training. It teaches safe, quick, collaborative traffic incident clearance practices. Please get TIM trained today! (bitly.com/TIMtrain) #CRSW
  • Take the free FHWA National TIM Responder training. Do it for your family, your fellow on-scene responders, and all road users –it could save your life. (bitly.com/TIMtrain) #CRSW

Thursday, Nov 16 – More Than a Crash

The focus for Thursday’s social media is to inform the public that CRSW is not just about safe driver behavior around roadway crashes, it about practicing safe driver behavior for all roadway incidents -whether a stalled vehicle, roadway debris, or other incident. Use this day to explain what traffic incident management is and why it matters. Consider adding a link to a video about your regions TIM program.

Sample social media message for organizations:

  • Beyond clearing 7 million traffic crashes annually, traffic incident responders work roadside to clear stalled vehicles, roadway debris, and other incidents—restoring safe travel. This Crash Responder Safety Week, and every week, stay alert for all traffic incident responders including [enter response discipline]. #CRSW
  • On any given day, approximately 50,000 traffic incident responders work roadside to restore safe travel after traffic incidents such as crashes or spilled cargo. Stay alert for traffic incidents and, especially, for incident responders. #CRSW
  • It’s Crash Responder Safety Week. Our safety service patrol trucks have what you need during a roadside emergency. We can safely push you out of the road, fix a flat, provide fuel, and more. [Insert patrol contact information] #CRSW

Sample social media message for responders:

  • Traffic incident management is a team effort. I work with my partners in [add response disciplines] to clear the incident and keep road users safe. Please keep us safe by staying alert, slowing down, and moving over a lane when you encounter a roadway incident. #CRSW
  • Whether a [ENTER EXAMPLES OF INCIDENTS YOU RESPOND TO: stalled vehicle, tire on the road, or an emergency pothole repair, etc.], I will help clear the incident and keep road users safe. Please keep me safe by staying alert, slowing down, and moving over a lane when you encounter a roadway incident. #CRSW

Friday, Nov 17 – Slow Down, Move Over

The focus for Thursday’s social media is to highlight the specifics of your State’s Move Over Laws such as response disciplines covered, slow down thresholds specified, and penalties.

Sample social media message for organizations:

  • [State] Move Over Law require drivers to slow down [x mph below the posted speed limit] when passing [qualifying events] and move over if safe to do so. Violating the law has consequences. [add link to your law] #CRSW
  • All 50 States and DC have Move Over laws requiring drivers to slow down and, if possible, move over when they are near stationary response vehicles, but not all Americans know that these laws exist. Know your State’s Move Over law. #CRSW
  • During this Crash Responder Safety Week—and every week— protect those who protect you on our roadways. Slow down, move over, and stay alert when passing traffic incidents. #CRSW

Sample social media message for responders:

  • One of the things I’m most worried about when wearing this uniform is being hit by a passing motorist. Keeping responders like me safe is EVERYBODY’S responsibility. Slow down, move over, and stay alert when you are driving near incidents. It’s the law. #CRSW
  • As a [YOUR RESPONSE DISCIPLINE], I work roadside to keep all road users safe. This Crash Responder Safety Week, and every week, please respect my workspace by slowing down, moving over a lane, and staying alert. It’s the law. #CRSW

Governor, Mayoral, or County Executive Proclamations

A CRSW Proclamation from your Governor, Mayor, or County Executive provides visibility for this week, particularly with news outlets (television, print, and electronic). Proclamations should be cited in press releases and through social media. The Proclamation issuance can also be an opportunity to host an in-person signing event that engages the Governor, Mayor, County Executive, and responder communities (e.g., Police Chief, Fire Chief, Towing Association, etc.) and news media.

Obtaining a Governor’s CRSW proclamation is relatively simple but does require advance planning. The following resources offer how to obtain a Governor’s proclamation and examples of issued proclamations from previous years.

Each County or City will have their own process for requesting an Executive or Mayoral Proclamation. Searching for “Request a Proclamation in [your city or County name]” in your preferred internet browser will lead you to your governmental form. Collaborate among your local traffic incident response leaders to jointly submit the Proclamation request.

In completing the form most governmental organizations limit the “whereas” statements to five or fewer. The following image illustrates the 2023 Mayoral CRSW Proclamation by the Mayor of the City of Missoula, Montana. Leverage the broader set of Governor’s Proclamations to draw the language that is most relevant to your region.

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Changeable Message Sign (CMS)

State and city departments of transportation can use changeable message signs (CMS), also referred to as dynamic message signs (DMS), as well as portable changeable message signs to inform road users of their responsibility to slow down and move over for responders.

Agencies typically display messages throughout the week or on the specific day of week that focuses on slow down, move over messaging. Click here to see the CMS message sets and delivery strategy among six State DOTs during year 2021. To learn more about how different agencies use CMS during CRSW view the following webinar and webinar summary:

  • August 9 ,2023 – This ASW covers how Nevada, Virginia, and Wisconsin plan for the use of their State’s changeable message signs (CMS), and consideration related to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices |   View Webinar
  • September 8, 2021 – Dynamic Message Signs | View Summary

Press Release

State, regional, and local agencies typically issue a press release to commemorate CRSW. The communications or public information office within an organization typically issues the press release. The CRSW Toolkit offers a customizable press release. Following are examples of press releases by various organization to commemorate CRSW:

Sample of Federal Agencies and Association Press Release:

Sample of State Agency Press Releases:

Sample of Local Agency Press Releases:

Mass Training Event

TIM Committees, coalitions, and teams can plan and conduct a mass training event during Crash Responder Safety Week. Mass training typically involves the in-person on on-line delivery of the four-hour National TIM Responder training course at either multiple venues or multiple times throughout this week. To learn more about how agencies plan mass training events view the following All-State Planning webinar recording and summary.

  • July 12, 2023 – This ASW covers how Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey plan for activities such as mass media outreach, mass training, rest area messaging and other CRSW efforts | View Webinar
  • August 11, 2021 – Mass Responder Training | View Summary 

To request support in planning your State or region’s mass training activity, reach out to the FHWA TIM Program Team (Jim Austrich, Paul Jodoin, or Joe Tebo).

Departments of Motor Vehicle, Highway Visitor Plaza, or Rest Stop Outreach

State Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV) typically have television or large message boards that can used to share Crash Responder Safety Week message. Likewise, highway visitor plazas or rest stops have spaces that can be used to communicate key CRSW messaging directly to the public.

Some agencies elevate the outreach to include more immersive environments that may include responder cutouts or a crash vehicle. To learn more about how DMV, visitor plazas or rest stops can communicate CRSW messages to the public view the following webinars:

  • July 12, 2023 – This ASW covers how Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey plan for activities such as mass media outreach, mass training, rest area messaging and other CRSW efforts | View Webinar

Demonstration Events

TIM Committees, Coalition, or Teams can collaborate to create a demonstration during Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) to engage mass media television and print entities as well as to practice safe quick clearance with in-person equipment and staging of a crash and potentially a secondary crash. To learn more about how to prepare for and execute a CRSW Demonstration Event view the following webinar or reach out to a member of the FWHA TIM Program Team (Jim Austrich, Paul Jodoin, or Joe Tebo).

  • July 12, 2023 – This ASW covers how Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey plan for activities such as mass media outreach, mass training, rest area messaging and other CRSW efforts | View Webinar
  • September 13, 2023 – This ASW covers Maryland’s social media, television news, mass demonstration, and CMS event planning | View Webinar
  • July 13, 2022 – This ASW covers how to leverage mass media outreach channels such as television, radio, talk shows, print news and other creative strategies | View Webinar

CRSW Themed Video Messages

Consider using or using as inspiration the following CRSW themed video messages through social media or within your organization to promote key messages related to Crash Responder Safety Week:

News Coverage Leveraging Ride Along and Facility Tours

Reach out to local television and news channels to promote Crash Responder Safety Week. Invite media to ride along with your safety service patrol, or other response vehicle. Invite media for a tour of your traffic operations center or demonstration event. Following are a sample of news stories that cover Crash Responder Safety Week:

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