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CDOT adds crash-cushion trucks to shield crews working Denver-area roads
The Colorado Department of Transportation says it has about two new trucks designed to absorb impacts at crash scenes, where secondary collisions can endanger responders. Each truck costs about $250,000, while its replaceable impact attenuator costs roughly $30,000, the agency says.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has unveiled crash-protection trucks intended to shield firefighters, police officers, emergency medical crews and tow-truck operators working at roadside incidents, with most deployments expected around the Denver area.
The trucks carry impact attenuators designed to absorb a collision if a vehicle strikes them. CDOT says it currently has about two of the vehicles, each costing roughly $250,000. The attenuator can be replaced for about $30,000 after taking an impact, compared with an estimated $2 million to replace a fire truck struck at a scene, according to the agency.
The vehicles are part of CDOT’s traffic incident management training and safety work. Secondary crashes can cause more harm than the initial collision, the department said.
“Secondary accidents are too common, and it’s unacceptable,” Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster said. “Zero is the only number of accidents we will accept.”
The trucks are intended as a protective measure, but responders emphasized that drivers still have a responsibility to prevent roadside crashes. Colorado’s Move Over law requires motorists approaching emergency vehicles to move over a lane when possible or slow down.
The equipment offers a barrier between passing traffic and crews working in exposed conditions, but it does not eliminate the risk. Drivers who see emergency responders should reduce speed, stay alert and give them room to work.