Idaho testing visibility program for snowplows

January 3, 2024

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The Idaho Transportation Department is equipping a number of snowplows in the state with LED lights in hopes of increasing their visibility.

According to a news release from the department, green and yellow are among the most highly visible and detectable colors to the human eye, during both day and night.

“Even when it’s not actively snowing, the plows on these trucks kick up tremendous clouds of snow and slush, making it extremely difficult for drivers to see the low-profile wing plow while crews work,” the Idaho Transportation Department said in the release.

Idaho transportation officials are hoping the “ultra-bright” lights will provide enough illumination to warn drivers that snow-removal equipment is in use in the immediate area.

The lights are being tested not only for visibility but also to see if they are durable enough to endure the harsh conditions that come with being attached to a wing plow.

It costs approximately $300 for parts, labor and installation of these lights on a snowplow, compared to an estimated $10,000 per incident to repair damaged equipment, the department said.

A few snowplows in North Idaho are taking part in a preliminary testing program to assess the efficiency of increasing visibility on plows to reduce the number of strikes each winter, ITD officials said.https://t.co/qkHWs5D9DH

— Bonner County Daily Bee (@DailyBee) December 31, 2023

Utah, Montana and counties in eastern Washington state currently are utilizing green lights within transportation departments. Wyoming and Oregon are among the states considering adopting this practice, according to the news release.

“Having uniformity between neighboring agencies is another big reason we are trying this out,” said Ryan Crabtree, fleet operations manager for the Idaho Transportation Department. “This uniformity enhances safety by ensuring driver experiences and expectations remain the same from place to place as they travel throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

In addition to its financial ramifications, another challenge of the endeavor is that having trucks out of service for an extended period makes it more difficult to maintain safety on the roads.

But the hope is that the program will prevent injuries and fatalities resulting from crashes involving snowplows. Should it be determined a success, the Idaho Transportation Department intends to conduct an even more comprehensive pilot program including more trucks across a broader area of the state. LL