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While driving, do I need to yield to tow trucks with amber (not red or blue) flashers? Just happened; the driver tailgated me and flipped me off at the next light, which he then ran. Dude, you’re not a cop, ambulance or fire truck; fuck you too. —AAA Member, Not AA
It was surprisingly difficult to find an answer to your question. I first called Don Hamilton at the Portland office of the Oregon Department of Transportation.
“You mean the ‘move over’ law?” asked Don, referring to the law requiring freeway traffic to give a wide berth to emergency vehicles (expanded in 2018 to include tow trucks) on the shoulder. I explained that I didn’t, and he advised me to try Shelley Snow, a Salem spokesperson for the agency, with more hit points.
“Are you talking about the ‘move over’ law?” asked Snow. (The state had clearly stocked up on “move over” answers back in 2018, and they were priced to move.) After I clarified, she admitted she didn’t have an answer either, but would try to find someone who did.
As I wondered what form the final boss of this somewhat low-action quest might take, it occurred to me that any rule of the Oregon road that was news to ODOT had a major publicity problem. If a seasoned (or at least pickled) reporter couldn’t track it down, what hope was there for the average motorist?
I’ll spare you the suspense: There is no law that requires you to pull over for, or otherwise yield to, a tow truck, even one with flashing amber lights. (Though I should stress you still need to give a wide berth to emergency vehicles on the freeway shoulder.)
According to Snow, those lights serve the same purpose as the flashing amber lights that accompany a double-wide trailer being towed down the highway: They warn you there’s a large, unwieldy obstacle in the vicinity, so you should exercise caution.
In fact, tow trucks aren’t even allowed to use their flashers unless they have a car in tow, so the driver in your scenario is an asshole twice over—three times if you count the fact that he was probably on his way to a predatory tow, the bastard.