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Roadside Assistance Vehicle Lighting: Review of Scientific Research and State Regulations
Tow trucks and other roadside service vehicles (RSVs) must safely operate in a wide range of roadway environments and conditions, from sunny afternoons to combinations of darkness, smoke, fog, rain, and snow. RSV visibility in these diverse operating conditions is paramount and static and flashing emergency or hazard vehicle lighting are common countermeasures to enhance the conspicuity of vehicles stopped or working on the roadside. Numerous factors related to lighting influence an approaching motorist’s ability to distinguish operational personnel from the rest of the visual scene. There have been efforts to evaluate various aspects of service and emergency vehicle lighting (color, pattern, frequency, intensity); however, existing research does not clearly point to the best lighting solutions for safety, especially when considering limitations of individual studies as well as state laws or regulations that impose constraints on some aspects of lighting available for use on tow trucks and other roadside assistance vehicles. The current project aimed to (a) review and synthesize available studies on different properties of RSV lighting and (b) review state regulations that currently guide the selection of warning lights for roadside service vehicles.
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