Pennsylvania ‘green-lights’ new color for construction vehicle flashers

Harrisburg, PA — A new Pennsylvania law says state highway construction and maintenance vehicles can display flashing/revolving fluorescent green lights to help protect roadway workers and drivers during inclement weather.

Signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) on July 17, H.B. 2182 allows the green lights to be added to state-authorized vehicles to ensure their visibility, particularly during foggy or whiteout conditions. The vehicles already have yellow lights.

Under the law, the vehicles can display one or more flashing or revolving green lights as part of temporary regulations. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will have until Aug. 16, 2027, to finalize regulations that include how intense the lights can be and how they’re displayed.

Rep. Jim Marshall (R-Beaver County), the bill’s primary sponsor, told PennLive.com that the idea came about from a local borough roadmaster who mentioned that Ohio began using green lights on snowplows in 2012 after an increase in crashes involving the vehicles.

The state Senate passed the bill unanimously (49-0) in July, after the House (201-0) did so in June.