ODOT adding flashing colored lights on snowplows to increase visibility

[Billy Goldfeder]

The Ohio Department of Transportation is retrofitting 1,600 trucks with new flashing lights to increase their visibility. Officials with the department said the initiative was prompted by the number of vehicles rear-ending ODOT's snowplow trucks.


ODOT District 11 Deputy Director Lloyd Macadam said the lights on new plow trucks will be integrated into each of the state's 88 counties and 12 ODOT districts as a result of House Bill 487, which was signed into law by Ohio Gov. John Kasich in September. The new law permits the use of flashing colored lights on ODOT vehicles, with the exception of blue and red, which are only used by law enforcement and emergency vehicles.


ODOT will use an amber, green and white color combination. Officials said studies have found that flashing green lights are more easily detected by the human eye.


"We'd like them to show up differently and be brighter and show up and have a new pattern, and that's what the whole purpose of these new lights are," Macadam said. In addition to the 1,600 trucks that will be retrofitted with the new lights, all new trucks will come standard with them.


"The new lights are eye-catchers. It's a good thing for the traveling public," said Jerry Campbell, a plow driver for ODOT who added that the change is also a relief for many workers.


"We're always worrying about someone coming up behind us too close or not seeing us on a blind turn, and this ensures us that we have a little better visibility to the traveling public," Campbell said. Drivers can expect to see the new lights in a few months, when winter weather is expected to hit the Ohio Valley. Officials said the goal is to have about 500 plow trucks retrofitted by the end of 2012, with the remainder of the fleet upgraded throughout next year.


Story posted 2012.10.01 at 04:29 PM EDT

 

[Billy Goldfeder]

Here is video: ODOT adding flashing colored lights on snowplows to increase... | www.wtov9.com

 

[Jarred J.]

this is like sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 11 months ago.


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/tale-2-dumptrucks-ohio-turnpike-vs-odot-26005/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f24/ohio-members-18836/


http://elightbars.org/forums/f13/ohio-department-transportation-going-green-lights-9645/

 

[OSP959(R)]

You have to love the great state of Ohio. They change their plow trucks from yellow to white. And now, they're going to try and add more lights to keep people from running in to the back of them. :duh:


Imagine the surprise to people when they catch up to a snow storm, only to find a great big white truck in the middle of it.

 

[JohnMarcson]

...paint them yellow...not white..... that right there is a huge part of it.


...and go back to the old fashioned alternating "Ohio Turnpike lights"... no additional lights needed. 4 giant alternating halogen can lights.... best DOT setup ever....


Add all the green purple red and blue you want, if you have flash pattern fail and LEDs caked in snow color matters very little.

 

[chono]

They just need to keep it simple.


In Iowa they are painted orange. Mini rotator bar, some are getting LED bars now and 2 alternating leds on the back. Haven't heard of any getting hit. They stick out in a snow storm just fine.

 

[CPDG23]

Nothing cuts through snow or fog quite like a good old halogen rotators. The heat alone will melt the snow off the dome in most cases.


Total fail with the LED's.


:duh:


ETA- They should have stopped by here and asked out advice first. As if law makers understand emergency lighting.

 

[NPS Ranger]

go back to the old fashioned alternating "Ohio Turnpike lights"... no additional lights needed. 4 giant alternating halogen can lights.... best DOT setup ever

That's the truth.

 

[CPDG23]

...and go back to the old fashioned alternating "Ohio Turnpike lights"... no additional lights needed. 4 giant alternating halogen can lights.... best DOT setup ever....

Any chance you have a video of this set up? I don't think I have ever seen it.

 

[kitn1mcc]

do people in ohio really drive that fast in the snow were they smash into the trucks


ct has painted they here orange for years. the newer cabs are orange but the stainless bodys are stainless. they only have 2 beacons and 2 rear facing 700 series were strobe then halogen strobe combo now all LED there is never a problem seeing them . they also run the 4 way flashers and the LED ones add alot

 

[WS224]

Regardless of color, they should have gone with a bigger foot print.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Any chance you have a video of this set up? I don't think I have ever seen it.

No.... It's just big foot print halogen flashers steadily flashing at 90 fpm in an X.

 

[JohnMarcson]

do people in ohio really drive that fast in the snow were they smash into the trucks

Yes.... yes they do. But white trucks in the snow with all their LEDs covered aren't visible...

 

[unlisted]

Sounds like they should of consulted Ontario, seeing as we have snow from October-late April normally... Here are some photos of our highway plow trucks. Like others, we started switching over to led a few years back but that idea ended quickly. We also have rear light "towers" with big old red halogen lights facing the rear hooked up to the STT lights on the plow trucks, increasing visibility quite a bit. Most times in blowing snow thats the only thing you will see... We still use the good old halogen rotator on the front normally as well. Newer trucks have multiple red/amber/blue lights to the rear, with only blue and amber flashing.


Photos google search-fu results.








Normally on the highways they also stagger plows across all lanes at once, which prevents any traffic attempting (most times) overtaking them... gets real funny when an idiot tries to pass them..

 

[foxtrot5]

Who in gods name paints a plow truck white? Really?

 

[Hoser]

Who in gods name paints a plow truck white? Really?

Ohio, used to be yellow...Wonder what happened to all those can lights? Ive never seen them at auction...

 

[kitn1mcc]

maybe white is a cheaper color

 

[irsa76]

maybe white is a cheaper color

Yep, white is the default colour for pretty much every truck manufacturer, and pretty much every end user. Not to mention it's easier to sell a used vehicle in plain white then most colours, especially bright yellow.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Yep, white is the default colour for pretty much every truck manufacturer, and pretty much every end user. Not to mention it's easier to sell a used vehicle in plain white then most colours, especially bright yellow.

There is a budget related story behind it I believe. It's one of those things that seems like a good idea from a budget stance on paper. "We pay what to paint trucks a pretty color? How much do we save if we get them government white?".... No one too a step back and said out loud "Should we paint snowplows white?" It costs more to play catch up with lights and lawsuits than to just paint them a non-snow color IMHO... but who am I to bitch... Oh yeah, an Ohio Tax Payer. Pick some other stock non-white stock color. Red, blue, green.... just not white... they are snow plows.... sigh


"Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one." -Durden

 

[unlisted]

Or, if they want to keep white.. go with a rear (full) wrap like this:





Oh and more halogen lights. Thats a given.

 

[OSP959(R)]

I agree, the can lights are awesome. You can have all the blinky blinky crap you want. Nothing gets your attention quicker then a good ol halogen light flashing back and forth at a nice steady rate.


As far as the drivers in Ohio, I was on IS271 a few car lengths behind and to the right of a ODOT plow. I saw a car pass it on it's left, went through the wave of snow coming off the plow as it passed, and almost spun out in front of it. I got excited thinking I was going to get to see an idiot shoved in to the median by ODOT, but was disappointed when he was able to keep it under control.


I took a crash report one time for someone that rearended a plow on an exit ramp. It's hard to not look at people like they're stupid, and ask them how they managed to run in to a huge snowplow.

 

[kitn1mcc]

i think most of the safty colors are now stock colors any way.

 

[Billy Goldfeder]

ODOT Adds Flashing Green Lights to Plows


ODOT Adds Flashing Green Lights To Plows | NBC 4i

 

[SnuffJ25]

I like it..... Appears they also added white.


On a side note, Chief is your vehicle posted on here??


Joe

 

[JPolston]

I'm so glad that I moved back to Indiana before I could drive and had to deal with all of this. Officials have no common sense, which also happens to be a problem with this years election. With that said, we in the US are all f*ed if they keep making decisions like this. Lol. Anyways. How does it make sense to change something that has to be in the snow to white? Then they want to complain about people hitting them? Yes, it's the tried and true "We are smrt" method. I feel sorry for our neighbors to the east.

 

[Hoser]

ODOT Adds Flashing Green Lights to Plows

ODOT Adds Flashing Green Lights To Plows | NBC 4i

Thanks for posting the link. I haven't seen any of the newly modified rigs on the road as of yet, It will be one of those see how it works type things. Looks sharp with the amber green combo. I agree white is a terrible color choice for the fleet. Time will tell how it works out and how effective the lighting changes are.

 

[SireLite]

Or, if they want to keep white.. go with a rear (full) wrap like this:

View attachment 41898


Oh and more halogen lights. Thats a given.

This would look better. :yes:

 

[AZEMT]

Or, if they want to keep white.. go with a rear (full) wrap like this:

View attachment 41898


Oh and more halogen lights. Thats a given.

At the end of the video, the guy talking is standing in front of a plow truck (I think) with lime and green chevrons on the back. Maybe they wised up a little??


Post 100

 

[FireEMSPolice]

I agree the trucks need to be a different color. ODOT has not responded to my question as to why they would waste more money instead of change truck colors.

 

[HalliganHook]

Here are some YouTube links courtesy of BillyG:

 

[firedude]

I kind of like them. Custom from whelen?

 

[jprleedy4680]

I really like the idea. Needs to be a SignalAlert or QuadFlash pattern,though.

 

[RyanZ71]

Nothing cuts through snow or fog quite like a good old halogen rotators. The heat alone will melt the snow off the dome in most cases.

Total fail with the LED's.


:duh:


ETA- They should have stopped by here and asked out advice first. As if law makers understand emergency lighting.

I have to disagree with this one, respectfully. I truly feel that the strobes are more noticeable day and night compared to rotators. Here in Colorado, CDOT uses 4 strobes on most of their plows. 2 up on the roof, and 2 on the back of the truck. Some of the newer strobe set-ups have flashing halogen bulbs in them as well. They are very simple, but VERY effective. CDOT is also now using LEDs that actually do something and look good, unlike that ODOT plow truck. Even in whiteouts. Going over to Utah, they use yellow rotator bars on the UHP plows. Those things are dang near impossible to see under heavy snow. Nothing eye catching about them and worse of all, those bars get covered with snow and ice very quickly and easily and the plow drivers don't even notice or seem to care.

 

[kitn1mcc]

you notice that the trucks are painted orange and not white

 

[HFD eng1ine]

I have to disagree with this one, respectfully. I truly feel that the strobes are more noticeable day and night compared to rotators. Here in Colorado, CDOT uses 4 strobes on most of their plows. 2 up on the roof, and 2 on the back of the truck. Some of the newer strobe set-ups have flashing halogen bulbs in them as well. They are very simple, but VERY effective. CDOT is also now using LEDs that actually do something and look good, unlike that ODOT plow truck. Even in whiteouts. Going over to Utah, they use yellow rotator bars on the UHP plows. Those things are dang near impossible to see under heavy snow. Nothing eye catching about them and worse of all, those bars get covered with snow and ice very quickly and easily and the plow drivers don't even notice or seem to care.

Nooooo! no strobes in the snow. Too bright with such a wide angle of output. If you plow with strobes in heavy snow you cant see a thing. It just lights up all the snow. Its not fun to drive in already bad conditions with a yellow or white wall flashing in front of you every second.

 

[julietbravosierra]

I have to disagree with this one, respectfully. I truly feel that the strobes are more noticeable day and night compared to rotators. Here in Colorado, CDOT uses 4 strobes on most of their plows. 2 up on the roof, and 2 on the back of the truck. Some of the newer strobe set-ups have flashing halogen bulbs in them as well. They are very simple, but VERY effective. CDOT is also now using LEDs that actually do something and look good, unlike that ODOT plow truck. Even in whiteouts. Going over to Utah, they use yellow rotator bars on the UHP plows. Those things are dang near impossible to see under heavy snow. Nothing eye catching about them and worse of all, those bars get covered with snow and ice very quickly and easily and the plow drivers don't even notice or seem to care.

HOLY crap they were booking it in the first video!


I think the green and amber is an excellent idea!

 

[RyanZ71]

Given how high up those trucks are I don't think the reflection is really an issue.

 

[Mbemt]

cant imagine why white and chrome trucks are getting hit in the snow.. stupidest thing Ive seen in a while.

 

[JohnMarcson]

they could learn a lot from the turnpike... yellow trucks with large footprint slow flashing lights.


Ohio Turnpike DOT Slow wig wag, doing it right.

 

[Kd8bao]

ODOT truck pulling into garage. Lights are bright