In a November 2, 2026 announcement, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation urged drivers to move over or slow down for flashing lights on the roadside. The agency said Wisconsin's Crash Responder Safety Week runs November 2–6.
The appeal includes Wisconsin State Patrol and highlights the work of uniformed officers on Madison's Beltline, alongside statewide training for managing crash scenes. It is a safety announcement, not a report of a new enforcement operation or its results.
Why responders need room
WisDOT reported that 72 emergency responders were struck by vehicles while working on Wisconsin roadsides over the past five years. That figure covers emergency responders, not just police officers.
The release describes roadside response as work shared by law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, towing and transportation services. It asks drivers to create a safe zone for those workers and extend the same protection to construction crews, maintenance and utility vehicles, and stranded motorists.
What WisDOT asks drivers to do
In its November 2 release, WisDOT tells motorists to move over or slow down when approaching a roadside vehicle with flashing lights. The agency also tells drivers to put down their phones; its summary of Wisconsin law describes a handheld-cellphone ban within an emergency response area extending 500 feet around an emergency vehicle with flashing lights.
For trip planning, the release points drivers to 511 Wisconsin for road-condition and incident updates.
Uniformed assistance on the Beltline
The announcement describes the Dane County Sheriff's Office Freeway Service Team as uniformed officers working closely with towing and recovery contractors. It lists the team's patrol corridor as US 12/18, the Beltline, from I-39/90 to Old Sauk Road in Madison, with hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. It also says the team assists with Madison's Flex Lane.
Those are the program details given in the November 2 announcement, not a real-time availability or dispatch notice.
Preparing agencies to work together
WisDOT says Traffic Incident Management training focuses on safe, effective roadside-incident management and consistent operations and communication across agencies. The release reports that about 68% of Wisconsin's approximately 39,500 responders have received that training.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation release dated November 2, 2026. The announcement date is the event date for this report; it is not the date of a particular crash.
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