The crash that killed state police Sgt. Douglas Weddleton was a body blow to anyone who regularly works beside busy highways, where death is only an arm's length away.

Don Achin, owner of Achin's Garage in North Attleboro, said its nerve-wracking anytime he sends one of his tow truck drivers out on the highway.

"It's extremely dangerous," he said.

Weddleton was killed by an alleged drunk driver early Friday morning after he had pulled over another driver suspected of driving under the influence.

Achin, who estimated his company sends drivers onto area highways 20 to 30 times a day, said motorists regularly ignore the state's new "Slow Down, Move Over" law that requires drivers to slow their speed and move away from disabled vehicles, police cruisers and tow trucks.

"Nobody pays any attention to the 'Move Over' law," he said.

The law, which fines violators $100 for failure to comply, was passed after two tow truck drivers were killed while assisting a disabled vehicle on Interstate 495 in Norton in 2004.

The driver that caused the 2004 accident was sentenced to four to five years in prison for vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol.

Wrentham Police Chief James Anderson said the "Move Over" law can be difficult to enforce because the officers who notice the infraction are usually preoccupied with another traffic stop or disabled vehicle.

Rhode Island State Police Capt. Jamie Pereira said his state has a similar law that has become more effective as motorist become more familiar with it.

"People who are aware of the law move over to the left if that lane is available to them," he said. "It creates a safer environment." Weddleton's is the latest in a number of deaths that have heightened concerns about workers exposed on the side of busy highways.

In Attleboro last September, Jefferey Burgess, a 35-year-old city water department worker, was struck by a minivan while he worked to repair a water main on South Main Street at Bayberry Hill Road.

Just a week before that, Weymouth police Officer Michael Davey, 34, was killed when a driver ran a stop sign, striking the officer while he directed traffic at a construction site.

In June 2006, state Trooper Paul F. Barry, 38, was killed when his cruiser struck an unoccupied dump truck on Interstate 495 in Wrentham.

And in an incident eerily similar to Friday's tragedy, Mansfield Patrolman Walter P. Langley was killed by a suspected drunk driver on Oct. 2, 1983, while he was investigating a stopped vehicle on Route 140 whose driver was later charged with drunk driving as well.

And on May 31, 1968, Attleboro Patrolman Charles V. Sciolto, 41, a 14-year veteran of the force, was struck and killed by a vehicle as he directed traffic during construction of Interstate 295.

Achin said he knew Weddleton through the trooper's work as a tow truck dispatcher for the state police, and said he was shaken by news of his death - and the circumstances.

"What happened was a tragedy, but I'm sure Doug would want people to learn from it," he said.

Rhode Island's Pereira said accidents like Friday's can serve as reminders for fellow officers about the dangers they face on the road, and the need to remain always vigilant.

"It heightens their awareness," he said.

Wrentham's Anderson said officers are trained in the police academy on how to best protect themselves during a traffic stop, including using the cruiser's lights and off-setting the the cruiser from the other vehicle to create a small lane of protection.

Still, he said, an officer's best protection is often paying attention.

"You have to remain vigilant and remain aware of your surroundings," he said.

For others who work in the road, it can be difficult to pay attention to the task at hand while worrying about cars and trucks speeding by.

"You can't do your job, and do it well, when you're watching traffic," said Mark Cook, Mansfield's highway operations manager.

Cook said his department hires detail officers when necessary, but on quick jobs, must rely on workers watching out for themselves and others.

He said highway department crews go to great lengths to make sure they are visible to motorists by wearing bright clothing and clearly marking their work zones with cones and flashing lights.

But no matter how well an officer, tow truck driver or construction worker prepares, they remain at the mercy of passing motorists.

"You can't control the people who are driving," Pereira said.

Anderson said drivers today have too many distractions while they're behind the wheel, putting themselves and those working in the road at risk.

"Between cell phones, texting, iPods, people are doing a lot more than driving," he said.

Achin said he hopes Friday's tragedy will stand as a wakeup call for drivers and put an end to "senseless" accidents.

"It's totally avoidable. There's no reason for it," he said.

Tragedy highlights dangers of roadside work