Every few seconds, a traffic incident responder puts their 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.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began commemorating Crash Responder Safety week (CRSW) in 2016, now annually, it takes place in November. 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
Show your support for CRSW and sign the 2026 CRSW Proclamation here and help promote it!
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.
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.
National Kickoff Webinar for CRSW – November 2, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET
The National Kickoff Webinar for CRSW is hosted by FHWA TIM Program. The webinar will honor TIM responders, feature messages from national leaders and on-the-ground responders, 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 CRSW.
The theme for 2026 CRSW is "Slow Down, Move Over. Lives are on the Line!" The CRSW 2026 Toolkit (below) contains materials to support outreach efforts.
CRSW Outreach Toolkit
2026 Flyer
The 2026 Flyer template can be customized to your agency’s needs for distribution. It features this year’s theme and QR Codes to resources that should be included based on the indented audience.
Social Media
Use social media to promote CRSW. Daily content has been provided below that can be customized to fit organizations’ needs. We request the daily focus remain consistent across all organizations but make the messaging specific to your target audience. Use #CRSW2026 when posting on social media.
MONDAY: Slow Down, Move Over. Lives Are On The Line
This is Crash Responder Safety Week. Slow Down. Move Over. Lives Are On The Line. [Your Organization] stands with the U.S. Department of Transportation in bringing attention to protecting traffic incident responders as they work to provide roadside support and keep our roads clear. #CRSW2026
TUESDAY: Driver Education
Whether you’re a new driver or an experienced driver if you see flashing lights, slow down, and if safe to do so, move over. Traffic incident responders’ lives are on the line while providing roadside assistance. All 50 States have Move Over laws for a reason. Follow your state’s Move Over law to help keep responders safe. #CRSW2026
WEDNESDAY: Responder Training
Every time a traffic incident responder provides support, they put their life on the line. Training is a critical safety tool. Let’s get 1,000,000 responders trained in 2026 and help each responder return home to their families after every shift. #CRSW2026
THURSDAY: Highway Heroes
It’s Crash Responder Safety Week. Traffic incident responders are the first line of support providing roadside assistance to those in need. Slow down, move over, give them space to safely work, they are putting their lives on the line. #CRSW2026
FRIDAY: Roadside Lifeline
Traffic incident responders do more than just clear crashes. They are protecting vulnerable motorists, coordinating with emergency responders and helping people through some of the most stressful moments of their day. Slow down and move over. Traffic incident responders are putting their lives on the line to protect others and restore the flow of traffic. #CRSW2026
Virtual Background
New this year is a CRSW Virtual Background. Download and use it for your meetings leading up to CRSW and during CRSW. Please feel free to modify and add your agency’s logo to the lower left corner of the image.
Proclamation
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.
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.
Webinars All State Planning Webinars for CRSW
All State Planning Webinars are a great platform to learn from and share with your peer States how to plan for CRSW for greatest impact.
Register for 2026 All State Planning webinars.
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. To be considered as a featured presenter in an upcoming All State Planning webinar, please reach out to any of the TIM Team members.
Previous years materials can be viewed here.