In Michigan, many agencies are working to improve visibility during winter operations. The state legislature passed a bill in 2016 allowing public agencies to install flashing green lights on their maintenance vehicles along with traditional amber lights.
At the time the bill was passed, the County Road Association of Michigan surveyed its member organizations and found that 89% of county road agencies would use green lights on winter maintenance vehicles.
Marquette City Purchasing Supply Technician Anthony Baez told Upper Michigan Source that the state hopes residents associate green lights with snow vehicles the way amber lights are associated with construction vehicles.
As shown in the video below, the green lights are more visible in a snowstorm than the white strobe lights they replace.
The County Road Association reported that 70% of county road agencies in the state used green flashing lights last winter, and more continue to install them, reports Petoskey News.
In addition, more than 200 of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s 300 vehicles have been outfitted with green lights, and the agency expects installation on all vehicles to be completed by next winter, according to Petoskey News. Installing green lights costs the state just under $100 per truck.
