Fluorescent yellow-green vests
Minnesota DOT uses fluorescent yellow-green vest with solid 3 inch orange stripes. MnDOT did its own study polling 10,000 people attending the state fair to look at dummies and state which color was the brightest. A followup survey polled drivers. Also, there was a federal study done about 10 years ago. MnDOT approached a local OSHA office with this documentation and got OSHA to agree in advance to allow MnDOT to use these colors.
They have had quite a bit of trouble with vests of all kinds. They have had problems with color bleed-through on the looser weave nylon fabric and heat problems with the tight weave. Also, some materials have faded rather quickly. But they generally think the new colors are a big improvement.
State/Agency: Minnesota
Topics: Protective Clothing