A Multidisciplinary Approach for Tow Truck Operator Safety

R01 Research Grant

Funded by:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Project Updates

May 2025 - Conference Paper Accepted to IRF Global R2T Conference

A paper titled “Move-Over Laws and Roadside Responders' Safety”, led by Praveena Penmetsa and Justin Fisher, has been accepted for presentation at the IRF Global R2T Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for December 9–12, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. The paper highlights critical insights into the effectiveness and enforcement of Move Over Laws and their impact on the safety of roadside responders, contributing to ongoing national and international dialogue on responder protection and policy best practices.

April 2025 - Technical Session on First Responder Safety at the 2025 Safe Mobility Conference

Dr. Steven Jones and Dr. Jun Liu co-organized a technical session titled “Safeguarding First Responders in the Era of Evolving Transportation Systems” at the 2025 Safe Mobility Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. This session highlighted both current practices for protecting roadside responders and looked ahead to the challenges and opportunities emerging with electric vehicles (EVs) and connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). Featured invited speakers included:

  • Mr. Kyle Clark, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

  • Mr. John Sullivan, Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI)

Their talks helped bridge traditional traffic incident management with forward-looking safety strategies for the next generation of transportation systems.

In addition, Ningzhe Xu, a graduate student at the University of Alabama, presented a student poster -
“Near-Miss Reporting Behaviors Among First Responders”, highlighting behavioral insights and data gaps in near-miss documentation and safety culture across responder groups.

April 2025 - IRB Approvals and Year 1 Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR)

The team received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for five studies under the CDC/NIOSH-funded project. These studies aim to generate new insights into roadside risks and behavioral responses:

  1. A national survey on Move Over Law and related enforcement practices

  2. Interviews with tow truck operators

  3. A national survey on tow truck operator behavior during roadside operations

  4. A national survey on motorist behavior near incident scenes

  5. A driving simulation study to evaluate how drivers react to roadside incidents and responder presence

In addition, the team successfully submitted the Year 1 Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) to the CDC/NIOSH. The report summarizes major activities, significant results, and key outcomes and achievements from the first year of the project, including methodological advancements, stakeholder engagement, and preparation for data collection across multiple study streams.

March 2025 - University of Kentucky Civil Engineering Seminar on Responder Safety

Dr. Jun Liu presented “First Responder Safety in the Age of Next-Generation Transportation” at the University of Kentucky Civil Engineering Seminar, Lexington, KY. This presentation highlights the critical need to ensure first responder safety, examining the challenges they encounter amid the rapid rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicles (AVs). It will expand to feature additional relevant responder safety research conducted by the NextGen Transportation Lab at the University of Alabama. Featured projects include those funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

February 2025 - BCI & Neurotech Masterclass Presentation

Team member Jiaqi Gong presented at the BCI & Neurotech Masterclass, sharing a paper on EEG-based reinforcement learning for rehabilitation: “Leveraging EEG Data with Reinforcement Learning and Multimodal Neurophysiological Insights for Enhanced Rehabilitation”.

January 2025 - TRB 104th Annual Meeting

At the 104th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Washington, D.C., team members presented the following papers:

  • “Move Over or Slow Down? A Simulation-Based Evaluation of the Safety Impact of Motorist Actions”
    J. Kong, X. Zou, J. Liu, W. Lu
    This study examined how different driver responses to Move Over Laws influence the safety of roadside responders using simulation-based analysis.

  • “Move-Over Laws and Incident Response Personnel Safety in the U.S.”
    O. Bredikhina, J. Fisher, T. Hockstad, P. Penmetsa, J. Liu, S. Jones
    This work presented a national-level review of Move Over Law practices and their implications for responder risk on the roadside.

October 2024 - Keynote Presentation at the Alabama Road Safety Conference

Dr. Jun Liu delivered a keynote presentation at the Alabama Road Safety Conference in Gulf Shores, Alabama, titled: “Safeguarding First Responders in the Era of Evolving Transportation Systems.”

The talk emphasized the critical need to protect roadside responders amidst rapidly changing transportation technologies, including the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) and connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). Dr. Liu shared insights from ongoing research on responder risk, behavioral responses, and technology-enhanced safety strategies.

September 2024 - Project Kickoff

The team kicked off the project titled: “A Multidisciplinary Approach for Tow Truck Operator Safety.” Funded through a competitive R01 research grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), this project aims to improve the occupational safety of tow truck operators—one of the most vulnerable and under-researched responder groups on U.S. roadways. The project integrates behavioral research, human factors, simulation modeling, and policy analysis to understand and mitigate risks encountered during roadside operations.