PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Industry Report Highlights Adoption of Emergency Lighting In Response to Increasing Roadway Fatalities By Amy Speer, Command Light
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n the first two weeks of 2020, seven roadway responders were struck and killed by vehicles. That’s seven lives in 14 days with three of those lives belonging to tow truck drivers. In an era of distracted drivers, tow companies are adopting new emergency lighting and vehicle conspicuity practices to better alert drivers and divert oncoming traffic away from the scene. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) recently released a report summarizing 44 struck-by fatalities of U.S. roadway responders in 2019, the first report of its kind to include mobile mechanics and tow truck drivers among first responders. Another study, analyzing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that 191 tow workers were killed between 2011 and 2016 with 64 percent of those deaths being attributed to motor vehicle incidents. So, what can be done? As part of the 35-page report, the ERSI suggested several mitigation strategies:
A 2019 Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) report stressed the importance of elevating scene lighting.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF APPARATUS TRAFFIC ADVISORS The ERSI documented a number of organizations that have adopted traffic advisors, lit amber/yellow arrows sticks that improve visibility, and give clear direction to approaching motorists. Additionally, the report recommended multi-level or high-rise light systems above obstructing views and to create visibility farther away from the scene. While some advisors utilized directional pulsing light bars, the study found that large arrow boards were especially effective at diverting motorists away from the scene. Command Light, an industry leader in emergency scene lighting for more than 25 years, manufactures a series of Traffic Flow Boards that can rotate up to 360 degrees, giving drivers the ability to direct the advisor toward oncoming traffic as they position the rig for recovery operations. When not in use, these Traffic Flow Boards fold down for a low-profile design. Command Light offers three different traffic pattern variations powered by 12V DC. 56
Tow Professional | Volume 9 • Issue 2
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THE USE OF LIGHT TOWERS FURTHER ENHANCE ROADSIDE SAFETY The report also addressed bright white lights, which often cause glare and visibility problems for crews and motorists when these LEDs are not properly elevated. The report strongly suggests elevating and positioning white light to illuminate only work areas. Light towers are one of the most effective ways to control lighting. In fact, these towers offer up to 360 degrees of rotation, while the light tower clusters and elevates the light, much like sports stadium lighting, to improve illumination for recovery teams while creating nonglaring light that alerts motorists of the incident ahead. To illuminate dual work areas, Command Light offers optional backlight that enables the bottom row of lamp heads to rotate 180 degrees, and Command Light’s design allows the tower to overhang the vehicle in a streetlight position, directing the light down as suggested by the ERSI report.
