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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Tow trucks and their drivers have become an |
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indispensable part of our automotive culture, providing welcome |
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assistance to stranded motorists and helping to clear traffic |
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crashes throughout the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, More than 35,000 towing companies operate in the |
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United States, and these businesses employ hundreds of thousands of |
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people, including dispatchers and safety advisors in addition to |
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tow truck operators; these dedicated individuals respond to nearly |
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15 million traffic accidents each year, coming to the aid of |
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motorists and first responders in all types of weather, at all hours |
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of the day and night; and |
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WHEREAS, Part of our nation's transportation system for the |
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past century, the towing industry traces its roots to 1916, when |
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Ernest Holmes of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was inspired to design the |
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first tow vehicle after assisting in the recovery of a crashed Model |
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T; Mr. Holmes and the company he founded went on to pioneer numerous |
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innovations in towing and produced such classic wreckers as the |
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W-45 model used by the U.S. military in World War II; and |
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WHEREAS, Since the earliest days of the industry, tow truck |
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drivers have faced considerable dangers while performing their |
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jobs; working in the midst of busy traffic and often in poor weather |
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conditions, operators regularly put their lives on the line, and an |
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average of one tow truck worker is killed every six days in the |
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United States; and |
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WHEREAS, To lessen the hazards faced by these skilled |
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professionals, it is important for motorists to observe proper |
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safety precautions when they encounter tow trucks on the roadways, |
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including reducing their speed and moving over to provide |
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additional clearance between the line of traffic and the tow truck |
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and stranded vehicle; and |
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WHEREAS, The towing industry provides essential services to |
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the public, keeping our roadways clear and open for travel, and its |
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workers are truly deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize the third week of September 2017 as |
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Towing Industry Awareness Week and extend to all those in the |
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industry sincere best wishes for the future. |
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Cain |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2050 was adopted by the House on May |
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25, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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