State, federal transportation officials test automated highway safety vehicle in Fountain on Monday
Scott Harrison
FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — On Monday morning, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) gathered with representatives of the U.S.Department of Transportation (USDOT) and some local elected leaders to demonstrate a new automated attenuator.
The event was scheduled for 9 a.m. on the north end of Fountain near the intersection of Highway 85/87 and Duckwood Road.
An attenuator is a device attached to the back of a truck that follows work crews to protect them from traffic.
In the past, someone would normally drive the attenuator truck, also known as an impact protection vehicle.
Colorado is the first state in the nation to test automated trucks, ensuring that the people who drive non-automated trucks are protected in the event of a crash.
“Last year, here in the state of Colorado, there were 23 crashes in work zones,” said Shaz Umer, a representative from the USDOT. “They resulted in 31 fatalities. “With this vehicle, this can stop that from happening. It can save lives.”
Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are partnering with Colorado to learn about the technology.
CDOT will test the attenuator during road re-striping operations for future use in southern Colorado.
The automated truck follows a manned leader truck — the truck involved in doing actual work on a highway.
CDOT received $1 million in federal grant funding to acquire one of the state’s three automated attenuators, but the one on display Monday is assigned to the southern Colorado region.
At the Monday morning event, CDOT and federal transportation officials joined Fountain Mayor Sharon Thompson and El Paso County Commissioner Cory Applegate.
“We are super-concerned about roadside safety and our workers on the roads,” Thompson said. “So, it’s a great addition to our team to have this vehicle.”
They talked about how technology like this. increases safety for highway workers.