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The Colorado Department of Transportation is deploying high-visibility Ford Super Duty crash protection trucks to shield emergency responders at roadside incidents. The trucks use illuminated arrows to direct traffic away from a scene and impact-absorbing attenuators if a vehicle strikes them. Initial deployments are planned for I-25, I-225 and I-70 around Denver.
Colorado’s Department of Transportation is deploying brightly colored Ford Super Duty crash protection trucks on highways around Denver to shield emergency workers at roadside scenes from passing traffic. The trucks use illuminated arrows to direct approaching drivers to move over and impact-absorbing equipment intended to limit harm if a vehicle hits them.
According to the report by The Drive, the first trucks are being deployed on Interstate 25, Interstate 225 and Interstate 70 in the Denver metro area, with plans to send them to other parts of Colorado later. The vehicles’ neon-green livery is designed to make them conspicuous, while rear-facing illuminated arrows signal motorists to move away from the emergency scene.
The trucks also carry attenuators, reinforced structures designed to absorb impact in a collision. Similar equipment is used to protect road crews, including on vehicles positioned behind work zones. In this case, the trucks are intended to create a protective buffer for first responders and others working near stopped vehicles.
CDOT executive director Shoshana Lew told reporters that a driver struck one of the trucks on Oct. 10 while approaching a crash scene. Lew said the truck “worked exactly how it was designed and protected our first responders tending to the scene.” The source report does not specify the year of the incident or provide details about injuries or damage.
A Buffer Between Traffic and Responders
Emergency crews often have to work beside moving traffic, where a driver’s failure to slow down or move over can turn an initial incident into another crash. The trucks add a visible warning and physical barrier between approaching vehicles and responders, rather than relying only on warning lights or signs.
The reported Oct. 10 collision illustrates the equipment’s intended role: the truck was struck instead of vehicles or responders at the scene, according to Lew. The available account does not establish how often the trucks will prevent collisions or quantify their effect on injuries, but the deployment addresses a specific roadside safety risk for both emergency personnel and people involved in crashes.
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From Work-Zone Protection to Crash Scenes
Impact attenuators are already used in highway work zones to reduce the force of a crash into a support vehicle. Colorado’s program applies that protective approach to emergency scenes, where responders may be working beside a highway while traffic continues to pass.
Public service announcements and electronic road signs commonly ask drivers to slow down in work zones. The trucks add a mobile, high-visibility warning at incidents involving emergency vehicles. The source report describes this as a CDOT deployment beginning around Denver, with broader statewide use planned; it does not give a schedule for that expansion.
Deployment Scope and Safety Data
The report does not say how many trucks are in the initial deployment, when the statewide expansion will happen, or which additional routes will receive them. It also gives no data on the number of collisions involving emergency scenes, injuries avoided, or the trucks’ effectiveness over time.
Details about the Oct. 10 collision remain limited: the source does not identify the year, the driver, the extent of damage, or whether anyone was injured. The reported account attributes the description of the truck’s performance to Lew; no independent crash investigation findings are included.
More Routes After Denver Launch
CDOT’s stated plan is to begin with I-25, I-225 and I-70 around Denver, then deploy the trucks elsewhere in Colorado. The source does not provide dates or locations for later phases, so the timing and scale of expansion remain open.
Further information from CDOT could clarify the fleet size, operating procedures and whether the agency will track collisions or injuries involving the trucks. Until those details are available, the confirmed development is the initial highway deployment and the reported use of an attenuator truck at a crash scene.
Key Questions
What are Colorado’s crash protection trucks?
They are high-visibility Ford Super Duty trucks used to shield responders working at roadside incidents. They have rear-facing illuminated arrows and impact-absorbing attenuators.
Where will the trucks be deployed first?
The report says the first deployment is on I-25, I-225 and I-70 in the Denver metro area. CDOT plans to expand to other parts of the state, but a schedule is not given.
How are the trucks meant to protect emergency workers?
The arrows direct drivers to move over, while the truck’s attenuator is designed to absorb impact if a vehicle strikes it. This places a protective vehicle between traffic and workers at a scene.
Has one of the trucks been hit?
CDOT executive director Shoshana Lew told reporters that a driver struck one on Oct. 10 while approaching a crash scene. Lew said the truck protected responders; the source does not give the year or report injuries or damage.
Source: rss
