Safety vests are mandatory
Adopt a Highway volunteers are required to wear safety vests that meet the FHWA requirements for retro-reflectivity and are ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 compliant. MnDOT’s vests (JPG image) are fluorescent yellow with vertical and horizontal silver bands of retro-reflective tape. The high-visibility color and the retro-reflective tape help make litter crews more visible to passing motorists.
Volunteers are required to wear the approved vests but are reminded to remain vigilant to traffic when working on the roadside. And motorists should always be alert to workers on the right-of-way. It is important for workers to see motorists, but it is critical that motorists see workers.
Adopt a Highway volunteers should keep their vests for the duration of their commitment, including renewals. If a group withdraws from the program, they are asked to return the vests to MnDOT.
Use proper bags for trash picking
It is important for safety reasons that proper bags are used for picking up trash. There are three criteria we follow in order of importance regarding Adopt a Highway bags. They are:
- Strength of the bag
- Bags must have a draw string for security
- Bags should be yellow, white or some other bright color for visibility
- Read Minnesota Statute 169.42 regarding litter and objects on highways