A Letter From Our President: Misuse of Emergency Lights

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Hello Fellow CTTA Members,

Some of you may be aware that I am not only the President of this great association, but I also hold a position on the Survivor Fund and the Wall of the Fallen.

Yesterday was one of those days where I had to reach out to a company owner and express my thoughts and prayers as he had just had a driver hit and killed. After that call, I got to thinking about what we can do to stop this senseless act of our drivers being hit. Of course, there are all of the regular things we talk about like “slow down, move over,” distracted driving, and so on. But then it dawned on me that there is something all owners can do to help ourselves and our peers:

STOP OUR DRIVERS FROM THE MISUSE OF EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHTS.

I see tow trucks running around town with the lights on. Yes, they forgot to turn them off; but the question is: Were they required to be used to begin with, in a parking lot for a tire change? I think not.

The motoring public is becoming more and more immune to our lights as time goes on. Why, you may ask? Because they are amber, and all of the construction companies and landscape companies use them…. and they forget to turn them off also.

We talk in our training classes about the use of emergency lighting, and it is obvious that the students need more training on when to use the lights and when not to. So, I am asking you as owners to please have a conversation with your drivers and stop the misuse of emergency lights. It may save a life.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the betterment of our industry.

Sincerely,

Quinn Piening

CTTA President     

Towers, Help Keep Our Roads Safe and Debris-free!

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The California Highway Patrol and Caltrans are getting reports of collision debris being left on our freeways and roads.  Unfortunately, the debris that is left behind can cause secondary collisions that can result in property damage, injuries, or death.  The CHP has asked CTTA, as its partner in road safety, to help prevent this unnecessary danger by encouraging all CTTA members to:

  1. Remove all debris from the scene of an accident, and/or
  2. Call 1-800-TELL-CHP (1-800-835-5247) with the debris location so that it can be promptly removed by the CHP and Caltrans.

CTTA thanks the tow community for your commitment to helping our state partners improve motorist safety in California. 

National Move Over Day on October 17th

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Attention California tow operators! Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we regret that we can’t host our usual “Slow Down Move Over” events for National Move Over Day on October 17th. However, you can still help us spread awareness to the motoring public. Please see below for details about CTTA’s Slow Down Move Over Challenge for a chance to win a CTTA SDMO prize package! Participants will be entered into a random drawing and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 20th. Good luck and stay safe!

CTTA Training Classes Are Postponed with CHP Offering a 6-Month Certificate Extension for Those Affected

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CTTA Member,

UPDATE: ALL CURRENTLY SCHEDULED CTTA CLASSES ARE POSTPONED

On the morning of 3/13, we sent out an announcement that CTTA Training Certification classes would continue as scheduled amid current virus concerns. We also mentioned that the situation is fluid and that we would update the Membership as appropriate. Here’s our first update:

After in-depth discussions between CTTA and the California Highway Patrol, along with review of new guidance issued by the state of California, we have decided to postpone three (3) scheduled CTTA training classes between now and April 15. The following scheduled Light Duty classes are affected: Fresno (3/21-22), Santa Rosa (3/28-29), and Azusa (3/28-29). In light of this, CTTA has confirmation from CHP that an extension of up to six (6) months will be offered on all currently valid certificates that are affected by this cancellation. The Association will, of course, continue its dialogue with CHP and address further extensions if needed. Our Members should know that the CTTA Board of Directors and Staff will be working diligently to schedule replacement classes as soon as possible.

CTTA Staff will be directly contacting affected enrollees in the Education Program beginning on Monday, 3/16. They will be taking either A) refund requests or B) postponement slots for when the classes are rescheduled. If you have any questions regarding this update, please send an email to ctta@ctta.com. Thank you.

– Quinn Piening, CTTA President