By Rick Wills
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
COLLIER, Pa. — Accident scenes and road construction do not mix well with vehicles traveling at high speeds.
Every day, police, firefighters and paramedics face risks working along roads and highways. Yet some of that can be avoided, which is why new regulations require high-visibility reflective safety vests to be worn on any road that receives federal funding.
“This change is extremely important for anyone working alongside the road and for motorists,” said David Pritt, safety press officer for PennDOT’s District 11 office in Collier.
Last year in Pennsylvania, there were 1,313 accidents in highway work zones, according to PennDOT. Of the 20 people who were killed, 19 were motorists. One was an off-duty South Strabane police officer who had stopped to help a disabled truck along Interstate 70 and was killed in a chain-reaction crash.
“Many work zone accidents are caused when people do not slow down. People do not see signs,” Pritt said.
The bright yellow vests increase workers’ visibility, especially at certain times of the year.
“Vests that meet this standard give users enhanced visibility in all lighting conditions, through the combined use of fluorescent and retro-reflective materials,” said Janice Comer Bradley, technical director of the Arlington, Va.-based International Safety Equipment Association.
Older vests often have nonreflective orange stripes over a white background, coloring that sometimes proved problematic.
“When there was fall foliage, those colors were almost like camouflage,” Pritt said. “In the past, drivers might not see an accident scene until they’re almost on top of it. With the new vests, the scene will stand out much more.”
The regulations took effect Nov. 24 and apply not only to interstate highways but many state and county roads.
Communities such as Cranberry, which has two interstate highways, began enforcing the change months ago.
“We are requiring the vests anywhere. When our workers are out in a right-of-way, we want (them) to be as visible as possible,” said Jason Dailey, public works director.
“We have had several night calls already. It has been a tremendous benefit.”
Practical considerations mean workers will wear the vests on nearly any road, said Dennis McDonough, deputy police chief in South Park and chief of the Broughton Volunteer Fire Department.
“Most roads have some federal money in them, and most police and firefighters will wind up as backups on federally funded highways at some point,” said McDonough, whose community does not include interstates.
Neither does Mt. Lebanon, where the vests already have been used for about two years, said Tom Kelley, public works director. “If we have to go out during the night, we like to have high-visibility yellow clothing.”
Right now, the only problem with the vests is that there aren’t enough of them, McDonough said.
“This requirement is good. But there are supply problems and long waits now,” said McDonough, who has worked with the South Hills Council of Governments to arrange a joint purchase of the vests.