Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Honorable Daniel Cahill, House Chair
The Honorable John Cronin, Senate Chair
Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
State House, Boston
Delivered electronically
Dear Chair Cahill, Chair Cronin, and Distinguished Members of the Committee,
On behalf of cities and towns across the Commonwealth, we write today to express our support for H. 2599 and S. 1768, An Act relative to the use of green lights for municipal emergency management vehicles.
As you know, the necessary work of local departments of public works (DPWs) presents many risks, especially when working on roads and bridges. Whether it be road maintenance, snow plowing, or responding to emergency situations, DPW workers must take precautions to ensure the safety of residents as well as themselves. Despite these actions, fatalities and injuries remain a significant concern across the country. Clearly, there is more that can be done to increase safety and protect our crews, residents and visitors alike.
One effort to improve safety is through utilizing green strobe lights. H. 2599 and S. 1768 would simplify the process for municipal public works and other municipal emergency management vehicles to use green strobe lights on their municipal vehicles, without additional permission from the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). Easing the use of green strobe lights is an extension of good safety practice that leverages an inexpensive, readily available technology to significantly improve the visibility of these essential vehicles.
Because the human eye is more sensitive to green lights than other colors, the use of green strobes can increase the visibility of vehicles using these lights and improve safety for DPW crews on site or while driving. Similar legislation has been enacted in Maine, Ohio, Michigan, and most recently in Pennsylvania with successful outcomes. Recent research in Michigan showed that the use of green lights, in combination with amber lights, improved visibility of winter maintenance vehicles significantly.
At home in Massachusetts, recent studies conducted by Norfolk Public Works showed that 97% of all traffic slowed or stopped when green strobe lights were in use, while only 58% of traffic did so with amber strobe lights. Further, with green strobes engaged, motorists reduced speed by between 11 and 23 miles per hour, depending on location. This is data collected within the Commonwealth forecasting the safety improvements we can make right here in Massachusetts. We know that slower speeds and increased visibility translate directly to reduced injuries and risk of death.
By allowing cities and towns the option to use green strobe lights on DPW and emergency management vehicles, you are enabling efficient and proven safety practices that could save lives, reduce injury, and reduce the administrative burden through the RMV.
It is clear that the use of green lights by DPW vehicles engaged with road repair, snow plowing, responding to emergencies, and high-risk scenarios will be a helpful public safety investment for workers as well as municipal departments. This legislative action could save lives and reduce injuries. This bill is a no-cost investment worth taking.
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide input on this important legislation. We encourage the committee to report H. 2599 and S. 1768 out of Committee favorably. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to have your office contact me or MMA Legislative Analyst Adrienne Núñez at anunez@mma.org at any time.
Sincerely,
Adam Chapdelaine
MMA Executive Director and CEO