When lineworkers are perched in a bucket truck repairing power lines along a busy road, they have good reason to be concerned about their safety. However, most are less apprehensive about working with high voltages or falling. Their biggest worry is also the most unpredictable: a distracted driver slamming into their vehicle or a nearby power pole.
The National Safety Council reports that 891 people were killed and 37,701 people were injured in work zone crashes during 2022 — these are the most recent reported statistics. Most of those crashes occur in construction sites, which are usually well marked. Colorado’s electric co-op crews are likely to face even greater danger, as they are often working along remote stretches of roads, frequently in heavy rain or other adverse weather conditions that can reduce drivers’ visibility.
The danger of work zone crashes led every state to adopt Move Over laws that require drivers to lower their speed and switch lanes when possible to protect emergency vehicles. The goal is to provide an added safety buffer and minimize the potential for accidents. Drivers caught violating the laws can face penalties including significant fines.
Unfortunately, the Journal of Road Safety reports that just 14 states’ Move Over laws protect other types of service vehicles, such as construction trucks and utility vehicles. That means drivers in those states are under no legal obligation to give linecrews that added margin of safety.
In 2023, Colorado’s Slow Down or Move Over law expanded to provide greater protection for people and their vehicles on the side of the road. According to the Colorado State Patrol, the enhanced law requires you to move over for all vehicles stopped on the road, including emergency responders, work crews, tow trucks, maintenance vehicles, and passenger vehicles.
Compounding the issue of utility trucks being hit on the side of the road is the dramatic increase in distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that as many as 1,000 people in the U.S. are injured each day because of activities that take drivers’ attention away from the road. The most common distraction is reading and responding to text messages. If a driver traveling at 55 miles per hour glances at their phone for just five seconds, they’ll have traveled the length of a football field before returning their gaze to the road. Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers of all ages in Colorado.
To help reduce accidents caused by distracted driving, a new Colorado law went into effect January 1 prohibiting drivers from using a mobile electronic device while driving; only hands-free accessories are permitted. It is now illegal to hold or manually use a phone or other mobile device for voice calls or any other reason; all drivers must use a hands-free device. According to Colorado Department of Transportation, there are several options available for hands-free driving accessories, including:
• Dashboard/phone mounts. These secure your phone in a visible but safe position, enabling the use of navigation or hands-free calls without holding the device.
• Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Built-in or aftermarket systems integrate your smartphone with your vehicle’s display and allow you to control your phone through voice commands or your car’s interface.
• Built-in car speaker systems. Many cars come equipped with Bluetooth-enabled speaker systems that allow hands-free communication and audio navigation. If your car does not have Bluetooth, there are plug-in devices for purchase that enable the feature through your vehicle’s existing stereo system.
Beyond distractions, geography can also be a factor in work zone accidents. Electric co-ops serving Colorado’s rural and remote areas often have power lines along twisty and hilly roads. Locals who are accustomed to driving those roads at fairly high speeds may be startled and have little time to react when they encounter a work crew past a hill or around a curve. Besides the potential for lineworker injuries, accidents can also damage or destroy expensive service vehicles, reducing a co-op’s ability to respond to outages, among other problems. Power poles and other infrastructure may also suffer severe damage.
Many of the tasks performed by lineworkers, such as reconnecting high-voltage power lines, are inherently dangerous and require their complete focus. When their attention is distracted by speeding or noisy vehicles, they’re more likely to make mistakes that can complicate the repair or cause injury.
Co-ops are considering ways they can modify bucket trucks and other service vehicles to make them more visible. Bright colors and additional lighting such as flashing strobe lights and lighted detour arrows can attract attention from a distance. Reflective “work zone ahead” signs can also alert drivers to be ready for an unusual situation. Sometimes, a little bit of extra attention is all that’s needed to prevent a serious incident.
SLOW DOWN OR MOVE OVER LAW
Colorado drivers have two choices when they see an emergency, tow, maintenance, utility, or passenger vehicle with emergency hazards on:
• Move over at least one lane from that vehicle.
• If they cannot safely move over, then they must slow down to a safe speed.
• “Safe speed” means drivers must slow down to 25 mph or less in a 40 mph zone.
• Drivers must slow by at least 20 mph in a 45 mph or higher zone.
If you fail to move over or slow down and are ticketed, this is a Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense and includes a $150 fine and three-point license violation.
Authors: Scott Flood and Kylee Coleman
