11 minute read
Tow Safety
Being Seen on Scene, The Basics of Good Lighting
By Brian J Riker
Brian J. Riker is a third-generation towman, with 26 years of experience in the ditch as a tow operator, and president of Fleet Compliance Solutions. He specializes in helping navigate the complex world of federal and state transportation regulatory compliance. He can be reached at brian.riker@fleetcompliancesolutions.net Working alongside the highway during daylight with good visibility is dangerous enough. Add in the darkness of night or inclement weather and the danger increases many times over. Proper selection and deployment of lighting products on your vehicles can help to mitigate some of these risks. There is so much more to lighting a work area than just throwing on some bright lights and calling it good enough.
Depending on the task at hand and the duration you expect to be on scene the choice of lighting products will change. For the simplest of tasks basic lighting such as white colored work lights and amber (other colors as permitted by local laws) warning lights are sufficient, provided they are deployed correctly. For longer duration or more complex events a combination of devices is warranted.
Oftentimes I come upon a work zone or emergency response scene and am dismayed by the amount of lighting present and the disarray it has been deployed in. This chaos causes even a seasoned professional, someone that is fully aware of the dangers of approaching a roadside event, to become disoriented and distracted.
Less is more. Most emergency response agencies have lighting policies that direct their personnel to only activate the minimum number of lights required to effectively communicate their intention or the hazards present. This means that once the emergency vehicle has come to a stop and is parked along the roadway they reduce their lighting so that lights ◀
Will-Burt light tower illuminates scene. are only directed where needed. Studies have shown that turning off forward facing flashing lights, headlamps and other lighting features reduces the distraction of oncoming motorists when there is no need for the oncoming motorist to react. This is an important procedure to follow on all highways to prevent oncoming motorists from becoming distracted by your presence.
I have noticed a disturbing trend of installing hundreds of flashing or pulsating lights on trucks, often in locations where DOT required clearance or identification lamps should be. With the availability of inexpensive LED marker lights and other small footprint devices it has become easy to install these lights, yet one must ask, should these be used roadside or only for show when not working on the highway? I would say the latter is true, again following the concept of less is more I have found these lights to be personally distracting and confusing. It becomes hard to distinguish what type of vehicle or incident is ahead when there are lights mounted in non-traditional positions sending conflicting signals to a motorist’s brain.
Focus is fantastic. General work lighting should be focused in a manner that makes it effective yet keeps it from blinding traffic approaching from the direction the lighting is facing. This is very important with rear facing lights common on tow trucks and carrier decks. These lights are often stationary and other than on/off have no other user controllable functions. Consideration should be given to the most common position a vehicle is in when these are activated, care must be taken not to activate these lights when they can or will blind traffic and they should only be activated when safe to do so. Consideration of the workers ability to see without being blinded by the work and warning lights is also critical to prevent injury.
Having work lights on multiple elevations (levels) at the rear of tow trucks and carriers is common today. It should be a standard specification to have the upper and lower level of these lights on separate on/off switches to allow the operator to only deploy the lights that are needed. Think about the potential for distraction or blinding of an approaching motorist from your lower work lights on a carrier as you raise the bed into the transport position. The lower lights are not needed beyond the initial approach and backup maneuver to position the carrier for loading, yet many operators leave them on for the entire loading process. As you tilt the bed up these lights are directly at eye level for the average motorist and could cause them to strike you or your vehicle due to momentary blindness.
When your budget allows, consideration should be given to remotely controlled lighting options. There are several great options on the market today for lights that can be controlled from within the cab to change their intensity and focus allowing the operator to put the light exactly where it is needed without worry for the safety of the workers or passing motorists. These remote controlled lighting products may even allow a truck to have fewer lighting devices yet have an overall more effective scene lighting footprint.
Color is cool. There is a belief among many towers that the color of their emergency warning
lights makes a difference in how the public perceives the hazard ahead. Even where this may be true most states still restrict towers from using lighting colors other than amber (see American Towman May 2019). When multiple colors of emergency lighting are permitted it is important to only deploy these colors in compliance with the law. Always have a method to switch off the lighting in segments so as to allow for limited use when necessary or to prevent distraction when having the front or side facing lights activated.
Color does not only apply to emergency warning lights. Multiple color under body aka “area lights” can be deployed in a manner to provide extra illumination around the truck while also providing a noticeable difference to warn approaching motorists of your presence. It is important that this lighting, regardless of color, is not blinding and is a constant glow not a strobe or flashing effect.
Color also plays into the effectiveness of your work lights on scene. Some lighting products provide a more natural light that is easier on the eyes, especially when deployed for long periods of time. Lighting that emulates natural daylight helps prevent eye fatigue and allows for your personal protective equipment to really stand out in its natural colors.
Communication is key. Motorists have come to understand that certain light colors or specific patterns represent specific hazards. Subconsciously most of us can recognize an ambulance from a great distance, long before we are close enough to read the lettering or see the vehicle design, simply because of the pattern of the emergency lighting. This is by design. There are very specific lighting design specifications for ambulances, fire apparatus and police vehicles yet there isn’t one definitive specification for towing, recovery or road service vehicle. This is something that must be addressed by the industry however this article is not the place for such discussion.
Towers and road service personnel should make their best effort to use lighting in a way that identifies their presence and communicates the hazard and action they wish the motorist should take. Since we do not have a uniform lighting standard for towing yet, one of the more effective methods to communicate this hazard is by using a variable message sign board. These devices come in many designs ranging from free standing towable devices to small fold-flat truck mounted devices perfect for very short duration events where a simple message must be communicated. Combined with advance warning signs, flares and/or traffic cones a variable message sign may be more effective than dozens of ◀
flashing lights of various colors. I feel these are a must on a response truck for major incidents and should be seriously considered for road service and other traffic control vehicle.
Advanced warning is an
absolute. All the warning lights in the world are not going to make you safe if the motorists do not have time to react to the hazard. This is why the most critical of all scene lighting is the lighting that can be seen from the greatest distance. Advance warning can be accomplished in many ways and the deployment chosen will vary with each unique scene. The common components of advance warning are what I want to touch on.
Portable, battery powered lighting has been available for many years. The technology has greatly improved to the point where these lights can provide many hours of light between charges. These devices come in many designs, some free standing and others designed to attach to traffic cones or signs. I personally like having flashing lights mounted on both early warning signage and a few traffic cones near the work zone. It is simple to stop and deploy a few of these devices as you approach the scene.
When I was actively working as a tower the first thing I did, after securing the occupants of the disabled vehicle, was install my tow lights at the rear of the vehicle if I was going to prep the vehicle for towing. This allowed me to have some advance warning light, especially important with larger vehicles that may block the warning lights on my tow truck. I would then properly deploy other remote warning lights, flares, signs or reflective triangles as needed.
While on the subject of advanced warning, for long duration events, deploying a few portable light towers may be called for. These towers can be placed at the beginning of the work area to help illuminate the change in traffic pattern as well as throughout the work area to provide a more uniform illumination for the safety of the workers and the motorists. Portable light towers are universally associated with road construction and other special activities so it is my opinion that motorists may react to
the presence of these light towers better than they do to multiple flashing colored lights.
Safety is in fashion. Wearable warning lights have been available for decades although with the advent of flexible LED lighting strips it seems imagination is the only limiting factor today. Combining well placed wearable lighting products, both colored warning lights and clear work lights, with reflective safety apparel is a smart decision. Not only does wearable work lighting reduce the need for potentially distracting bright scene lighting it also helps assure the light is exactly where the worker requires it – in front of their eyes and focused on what they are looking at. I have personally used clear work lights built into hats and headbands as well as flashing red warning lights clipped to my safety vest for years and have found them to be some of the most effective safety technology available.
Something is better than
nothing. As I travel across the nation, something I do weekly, I am saddened by the number of towing and road service operators I witness using no warning lights, advance warning devices, work lighting or even reflective clothing. Often
Portable light towers are
so it is my opinion that motorists may react to the presence of these light towers better than they do to
multiple flashing colored light.
they are working with nothing but their truck’s hazard flashers and a handheld flashlight. I believe this is even more dangerous than the overly lit scenes I mentioned at the top of this article.
I understand that not everyone has the budget to purchase the latest and greatest products but there are many budget conscious devices that are effective on the market today. At least have a basic light bar that functions with user selectable front and rear flashing amber light options, a basic white work light and a few flares, cones or portable flashing lights. Even simply setting a wireless tow lightbar to the rear of the scene, even for road service calls, can provide some protection.
Bottom line, lighting is an
Custer Products........................
Will-Burt Company.................... see p. 60 see p. 28 see p. 34 see p. 27
excellent tool for worker safety when used properly. Less is usually the best choice provided the selected lights provide the flexibility to focus their output only where it is required. Place yourself in the shoes of the average motorist when designing your lighting upfit for your next response vehicle. Just because you know what you are attempting to say, or what you believe the lighting color/pattern choice will convey, does not mean the average motorist will understand.
Humor me with a little experiment. Try asking friends and family from outside the emergency responder community to evaluate your warning and work lighting choices and provide feedback. I bet you will be shocked how often the intent of our emergency and work scene lighting is misunderstood or found to be blinding, distracting or otherwise confusing.
