Highway Apparel-Reflective Vests

In Charleston, West Virginia, Officer James Lee was struck by a vehicle on the day of November 24, 2011. Officer Lee had been attempted to direct traffic around a disable vehicle near Cross Lanes Drive and 40th street when he was struck from behind. Investigation is ongoing; however, it was not clear whether the officer was wearing a reflective vest at the time of the accident. 

Back in 2008, the Federal Highway Administration created regulations regarding high visibility apparel when being used for directing traffic. According to these regulations, any worker on a federal roadway is required to wear high visibility reflective vests and any other necessary high visibility apparel while directing traffic. The reflective vests and apparel must meet the minimum standards in both visibility and design in order to be designated as high visibility apparel. 

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Although regulations are in place, many departments often operate without the proper protective gear. Many muni lities were unable to extend their budgets to upgrade their apparel and provide proper reflective vests. In this particular region, the commission paid out $40,000 to purchase proper reflective vests for county departments. The money was taken from a public safety grant that had come in earlier in the year. Even though there are laws protecting workers on the roadways, many of these workers either choose not to wear the equipment or it simply isn't available. 

While there are departments that may not provide the vests, there are plenty of others that do. Unfortunately, after the vests are purchased, they often end up in a storage compartment or trunk where they are forgotten. As workers rotate throughout the day, other equipment will often get packed on top of the reflective vests and will eventually damage the vests by making them dirty, wrinkled and unprofessional. While it is up to the department to have the equipment ready and available to wear, many departments simply fall through. 

Statistics alone prove the importance of reflective vests: according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 45 police officers have died in just the United States due to automobile accidents. Many of these automobile accidents involved officers who were hit and injured due to situations where there was poor visibility. By wearing the proper reflective gear and helping with visibility, many of these accidents can be prevented. 

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The best way for something to catch on is to lead by example. Police officers can help with setting an example by wearing the appropriate high visibility clothing around public safety and highway workers, especially when responding to emergency scenes. The issue that many officers bring up is that they are already carrying a large amount of equipment while on duty and high visibility apparel is often hard to track and store. 

To improve compliance, one of the most effective methods department heads can take is to incorporate the reflective tape and trim used on reflective vests into their existing uniforms. By making room for this addition, they would improve visibility, avoid adding extra gear, and emulate other response gear that's already used by emergency medical personnel and fire crews. Accidents suffered by officers like James Lee can be avoided with proper use of resources, planning, and education.

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