There are various reasons why a law enforcement officer may be on the side of the road. The officer may be directing traffic after a major storm knocked out power to traffic signals. Or one may be preparing to throw speed sticks to slow a motorist during a high-speed chase. An officer may even be conducting a public assist stop after noticing a stranded motorist’s flat tire. Whatever the case may be, performing duties on the side of the road leaves an officer vulnerable.

During the first two quarters of 2023, there has been an 82 percent reduction of struck-by crashes in the United States when compared to the same period in 2022.¹ Although this decline in struck-by cases is encouraging, it is still imperative that officers are aware of the dangers of being roadside and are provided with the appropriate gear to keep them safe. One line-of-duty-death is one too many.

Gear and Accessories

Searching for high-visibility gear and apparel specifically designed for law enforcement tasks may be daunting. Luckily, Blauer Manufacturing (Blauer) has been instrumental in separating ANSI 107:2022 products into Type P (public safety), Type O (off-road industrial), and Type R (roadway). Stephen Blauer, owner of Blauer, has been a member of the ISEA High-Visibility Committee for more than 15 years. This group helps draft the ANSI standards. “The purpose for breaking out the groups is to make sure that the ANSI 107 safety [personal protective equipment] does not become a competing hazard for police, EMS, or fire,” said Blauer.² For example, Type P safety vests can be made shorter to accommodate a duty belt. Type R vests may be longer, which would hinder an officer’s ability to easily access his duty belt.

Blauer supplies high-visibility and retroreflective polos, outerwear, rainwear, hats, and gloves; the breakaway safety vests, however, really exemplify Blauer’s quality materials and innovative designs.

The safety vests—available in a variety of designs with contrasting reflective stripes—are made with mostly filament polyester yarns. This makes them more likely to shed dirt and grease as opposed to textured polyester, which holds grime and stains even after washing. Additionally, the solution-dyed polyester is five times more colorfast to light exposure than piece-dyed fabric, keeping the vests bright yellow for longer. The breakaway vests are designed to come apart at the shoulders and sides—and sometimes front—for quick and easy removal to avoid becoming a target during a tactical situation.

One way an agency can boost personnel roadway safety is by using Guardian Angel’s small wearable device in conjunction with Blauer’s gear.

A pending study found that the use of a Guardian Angel light, in combination with a safety vest, makes roadside workers 87 percent more visible than a vest alone.³ “It just shows the impact light has on catching a driver’s attention,” said Guardian Angel CEO and President Chad Keller.⁴

The goal of Guardian Angel is to ensure officers are clearly visible when outside of their patrol vehicles so that motorists know when to slow down and switch lanes to avoid striking officers. To accomplish this, the company has developed a multipurpose, professional grade wearable light—the Elite. Lasting up to 150 hours on a single charge, the red and blue lights can be seen up to five miles away. Providing 360-degree lighting, the Elite allows officers to change flash patterns independently for the front and back. Additionally, the front LED lights include a white work light that’s perfect for low-light conditions and a red work light that lets officers write reports and tickets in the dark without affecting their night vision or creating glare.

With its optional infrared feature, a popular feature for tracking K9s, the wearable light can be tracked from anywhere.

The built-in magnetic mounting system is also a defining feature of Guardian Angel devices. The system can attach to any metallic surface and can easily connect to a vest or epaulet. The Elite is designed to endure any rugged work condition an officer may encounter; it is waterproof, dust-proof, and shock-proof.

“That versatility and durability is what officers love, and it’s what we work so hard to provide for them,” said Keller.

Preventative Tools

A wearable light is not the only light-based device that can enhance traffic safety within a community.

Elan City strives to provide support and cutting-edge solutions to law enforcement agencies in more than 10,000 communities worldwide. This is made possible through community education and safety measures. Authorities are offered an innovative tool to mitigate drivers’ speeding via the EVOLIS Vision. The psychological reinforcement of the radar sign places responsibility to correct their speed into the driver’s hands. This approach regulates traffic without resorting to punitive measures, strengthening community synergy. At the same time, the EVOLIS Vision can assist analysts with data traffic collection and statistical analysis. “Communities start to take responsibility for themselves when each citizen starts to take responsibility for their own actions, and that’s what our signs are helping people do,” said Graham Dennis, account manager at Elan City.⁵

Based on feedback from police departments and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as changes to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the previous EVOLIS model has gone through several modifications and improvements to reach its current form. Weighing in at about 20 pounds, once the speed sign is installed, it should stay functional for several years. This is due to its monocrystalline 95-watt solar panel that functions year-round. The signs are also tested and certified to withstand high winds and extreme weather conditions.

The EVOLIS Vision has 15-inch digits, alerting drivers of their speeds, and because there are three rows of LEDs, the digits are larger and brighter than before. The customizable message display has three colored LEDs: green, yellow, and red.

Equipped with a doppler antenna, data are collected on incoming and outgoing vehicles. The vehicles traveling on the opposite side of the road and not receiving any psychological impact are also tagged to test the efficiency of the speed sign. Spy Mode is another way to test the sign’s effectiveness. When the feature is activated, the LEDs will go dark, but the sign is still gathering data. “This gives officers the eyes and ears they need in places where they can’t always be,” said Dennis. With these data-driven preventative methods, officers and resources can be deployed more precisely.

Conclusion

Many organizations, including the IACP, have placed traffic safety high on their list of priorities. This is due to the staggering number of crashes per year—not only in the policing profession but in communities worldwide. With the help of safety gear and data-driven tools, these numbers are on the decline.

Notes:

¹National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), NHTSA 2023 Second Quarter Report (Washington, DC: NLEOMF, 2023).

²Stephen Blauer (owner, Blauer Manufacturing), email interview, June 28, 2023.

³Guardian Angel, “Roadside Safety Is about to Change.”

⁴Chad Keller (CEO/president, Guardian Angel), email interview, July 17, 2023.

⁵Graham Dennis (account manager, Elan City), phone interview, July 28, 2023.