INDOT implements new roadway worker safety initiative: Project Greenlight

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces a new work zone initiative to increase worker safety.

INDOT is implementing Project Greenlight, a program to equip highway workers with Guardian Angel safety lights, to help bring awareness to workers in times of limited visibility.         

Guardian Angel safety lights are wearable devices with flashing green patterns that increase worker visibility from all directions. When worn with a high visibility vest, these lights help workers become 89 percent more visible to the traveling public according to a study from Battelle Memorial Institute.

Bright green is the most visible color to the human eye and is the most visible from longer distances. The color green is also easily distinguishable from the rest of INDOT’s standard work zone lighting.

“Studies show drivers are more likely to move over and slow down when they see these green lights in work zones,” said INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist. “The safety of our team is always our top priority as they make improvements to Indiana’s infrastructure, and we hope this small tool will have a big impact.” 

INDOT began piloting the green safety lights in fall 2025 within the three Hoosier Helper patrol areas – Northwest Indiana near Gary, Indianapolis metropolitan area, and Southeast Indiana near Louisville – and within highway maintenance crews in the Indianapolis Subdistrict and various crews throughout the state.

As the program moves forward, approximately 375 lights will be distributed across the state, starting with the INDOT Northwest District. INDOT Highway Technicians and Hoosier Helpers are encouraged to use the green lights during nighttime operations, as well as during times of inclement weather like fog, rain or snow, when visibility might be lower.

Green safety lights were brought to INDOT through its Innovation and Process Improvement Division . Innovation is one of INDOT’s core values as the agency looks to challenge the status quo through creative thinking and new technologies. An annual competition is held for INDOT employees to submit innovative ideas that make jobs safer, more efficient and more effective. Those ideas are then voted on internally and implemented throughout the agency.