Palm Tran’s Retrofitted “Flashing Lights”

About the Program

Category: Transportation (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

During October 2015 through September 2016 there was a spike in rear-end collisions, reaching a total of 73. Palm Tran retrofitted buses with "flashing lights" on the tails limiting and preventing rear-end collision. Since implementation, Palm Tran has had six reported rear-end collisions involving the buses that have been retrofitted with flashing lights. The focus is the visibility of buses. The additional retrofitting costs Palm Tran $240 per bus including parts and labor. The indirect or non-financial benefits include less accidents, safe transporting of passengers, and a reduction in employee sick leave or FMLA associated with rear-end collisions. The reduction of costs and litigation is a financial benefit associated with implementing this project. The cost savings extend far beyond the costs of adding the flashing lights to the bus. One of the innovative aspects of this project is that it was developed and installed in-house. Within a few months, Palm Tran experienced no rear-end collisions involving the buses with rear flashing lights. Palm Tran's metric shows a tremendous reduction in rear-end collisions, with the rear lights of 55 buses retrofitted to date.