Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - If you are driving around certain areas of Western New York this upcoming winter, you may notice snow plows clearing roadways with new flashing green lights paired with the customary yellow lights to signal caution.
This is all part of an effort to advise drivers in Western New York to look out for snow plows this winter, and help others when they are unable to see an incoming plow in snow storms.
"If there's one thing that we know in Buffalo, it is that winter is coming," said New York State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace, who was on-hand for an announcement at the Cheektowaga Highway Department on Tuesday. "We have some amazing crews like the crew that Highway Superintendent [Mark] Wagner supervises that efficiently clear snow better than any city, any town anywhere in the country. But in order for them to do the great work that they do, we all need to get out of their way. And in order to get out of the way, we need to see them coming.
"That's why Senator [Tim] Kennedy and I this past year passed legislation that would allow municipal snow plows to have flashing green lights, or green and yellow lights, because studies show that green lights are much more visible to the human eye, especially in low visibility conditions, like a white out."
The piece of legislation signed into law back in August and takes effect starting Nov. 17 will also allow for the use of alternating green and amber lights on municipal snow plows.
"The primary goal here is to improve public safety and plow safety, and we know that the tough winters that we have here in Western New York, and all across New York State and the northeast, include drifting snow and white outs. These DPW employees are out there on the road, in the inclement weather, hard at work, keeping us moving, and we want them to be able to see and to be seen," said Senator Tim Kennedy on-hand for the event. "Studies have shown that these green lights are more easily distinguishable than any other color during that inclement weather."
Western New York is certainly not the only place in the country that has incorporated the use of these new green lights on to municipal snow plows. States like Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut and Alaska also implement the use of green lights to better alert drivers on the road of an incoming snow plow.
"This did start with Gabe Casucci from Soundoff Signals. He did contact me, showed me what it looked like in a blizzard from Michigan," said Wagner during Tuesday's announcement. "I took it to Assemblymember Monica Wallace, she moved it on to Senator Kennedy, and I just want to thank them very much for everything they did."
Under current New York State vehicle and traffic law, it very tightly regulates what colors are permissible on vehicles so that there's no confusion. It was up to Assemblywoman Wallace and Senator Kennedy to amend the vehicle and traffic law to allow for just municipal snow plows, not regular snow plows, to have flashing green and yellow lights for snow plows.
"I think we wanted to treat municipal snowplows differently, because they are so massive, and they are out there on highways, clearing highways, in a way that many of the smaller ones are just doing driveways or parking lots," Assemblywoman Wallace said. "Their wingspan is tremendous, the speed, and they go in tandem. So we wanted to make sure those were visible."
According to Wagner, a total of three snow plows in Cheektowaga will feature these green flashing lights, and each regular bubble with the green lights incorporated averages around $150. As time goes on, it is expected that more and more snow plows are outfitted with these green lights, in some capacity.
In addition to Cheektowaga, Wagner says snow plows in Lancaster, Depew, and even a few Erie County snow plows will have these green lights equipped with the snow plows.
More from Tuesday's press conference is available in the player below: