Provincial Transportation Authority Ontario, Canada

CLIENT

PROVINCIAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

LOCATION

ONTARIO, CANADA

PRODUCTS

WARNING STICKS, MINIBARS, BEACONS, STOP/TURN/TAIL LIGHTS, AND FLOODLIGHTS

Snowplows are crucial to keeping our roads safe during snowfall events. However, when snowplows aren’t visible to other vehicles, the risk of traffic accidents increases.

SWS Warning Lights, in collaboration with Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, came up with the perfect solution.

Colour combinations and features that meet your Provincial requirements are available.

THE NEED

Previous provincial mandates have required snowplows to require similar lighting to construction and public works vehicles, including amber and blue strobe, rotator beacons and minor perimeter lighting. However, this resulted in snowplows that were not as readily identifiable from other public works vehicles, leading to rear-end collisions on freeways and higher-speed roads.

THE SOLUTION

Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation hired SWS Warning Lights to develop a solution that involved adding enhanced lighting to the vehicles’ rear while utilizing the latest high brightness LED technology.

We worked closely with the Ministry to ensure we fulfilled their split-colour and flash pattern requirements, flash pattern desires, product dimension specifications, interconnection simplification, desire, and collaborated on a metric for describing the system requirements.

We further developed this customized solution in conjunction with a large national distributor of snowplow vehicles, which helped us accommodate a diverse range of snowplows and layouts. The final product and layout on a standard snow removal vehicle were subject to public approval and industry representation to finalize a definitive specification for snowplows and snow removal equipment.

PRODUCTS USED

HIGHWAY SNOW PLOW LIGHTING FLEET PLUS SERIES

THE RESULTS

Our partnership with the Ministry of Transportation led to the development of SWS’s 75028 Snowplow Warning Light System and the creation of a new style of warning stick. With SWS’s LIN communication and advanced electronic design, we built a synchronized flashing pattern between different warning products while maintaining a simple interconnect between all products.

This innovative solution has set the provincial guideline for snow plows and snow removal equipment under the MTO, as well as a nationally recommended guideline by the Canadian Traffic Authority.