LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A group of Kentucky lawmakers plans to introduce a bill aimed at protecting tow truck drivers when they're working on the side of the road.
Bill Request 33, also known as "Troy's Law," would allow for wreckers to have blue flashing emergency lights.
The bill's sponsor said the lights would catch other drivers' attention and encourage them to slow down.
"This legislation will allow wreckers to operate blue lights while stationary and actively removing a vehicle or debris from the highway," Rep. Richard White, R-Morehead, said in a news release. "This is a limited, common-sense step that increases visibility and prompts drivers to slow down and move over."
While blue emergency lights are typically reserved for law enforcement, White said the bill is "narrowly written to allow blue lights only when the truck is stopped, not while driving or towing," and would not create confusion with law enforcement.
It's named after Troy Caldwell, a 54-year-old Kentucky tow truck driver who died on the job last September.
White, and bill co-sponsor Rep. Patrick Flannery, R-Olive Hill, said "Troy's Law" is about worker safety and saving lives.
"It's about protecting the men and women who come to our rescue when we need them the most and ensuring that they get to go home safely," White said.
Other states have already adopted similar laws for wreckers.
"We're still going to be coming to your rescue, they're gonna need us and we're still gonna be there. We just hope everybody will be there for us too," Bubba Johnson, with Bubba's Towing and Recovery, told LEX 18 News. "If we can save a life, it's worth doing."
Similar legislation did not make it through when it was introduced during the most recent legislative session. White and Flannery said Kentucky State Police was not in favor of the bill at the time, adding that they think the agency had concerns about the blue lighting interfering with their usage of blue lights.
White and Flannery presented the proposed bill last week during an Interim Joint Committee on Transportation meeting. Other lawmakers asked whether they had considered other colored lights, such as red and yellow, to avoid confusion with law enforcement.
One Louisville lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Rachel Roarx, told the committee about a letter it received in opposition of the proposed bill. The letter, Roarx said, raises concerns about towing fraud and concerns that "certain tow truck drivers who listen to police scanners and arrive first on the scene may be incorrectly associated with law enforcement."
To learn more, click here to read the proposed bill. The Kentucky General Assembly can't take action on any proposed legislation until the start of the 2026 legislative session, which begins Jan. 6.
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