The expansion covers department highway vehicles on four islands and builds on the initial deployment on O'ahu.
HDOT vehicles are equipped with light bars, but visual warnings alone cannot reach public drivers until they are within line of sight of the operationally vulnerable vehicle. H.E.L.P.® (Hazard Enhanced Location Protocol) Digital Alerts close that gap. When a vehicle activates its light bar, the H.E.L.P.® Alert Network delivers Road Awareness Alerts to approaching drivers through navigation apps and in-vehicle systems. The system activates automatically with the lightbar, requiring no additional action from HDOT crews.
"Our crews face the same risks whether they're working on O'ahu or a rural road on Hawai'i Island," said Ed Sniffen, Hawai'i Department of Transportation Director. "Public drivers can't react to hazards they're not aware of. This gives them an earlier warning before our vehicles and crew members come into view, giving them more time to slow down, move over and respond safely. That added awareness helps protect both our crews and the traveling public."
"Every transportation agency invests in cones, signs, lighting and training to protect its crews," said David Tucker, Chief Executive Officer of Emergency Safety Solutions. "Those measures are essential, but they still rely on drivers seeing the work zone in time to safely respond. H.E.L.P.® Digital Alerts extend that protection farther upstream, before the work zone is even visible. Hawai'i is showing how easily this life-saving technology can be deployed statewide without disrupting how efficiently crews do their jobs."
A February 2026 study from the Illinois Center for Transportation at the University of Illinois found that layering digital alerts with conspicuous vehicle lighting caused drivers to begin reacting four times farther away and made approach speeds 43% more consistent.
"HDOT does not have to choose between modernizing its fleet or improving worker safety — they can do both," said Arnold Albiar, Sustainability Partners' Managing Partner of Hawai'i. "This expansion represents an important investment in protecting and prioritizing human life, and we feel privileged to play a part in advancing this critical safety program."
About Emergency Safety Solutions:
Emergency Safety Solutions (ESS) is an Advance Warning Solutions company dedicated to reducing secondary collisions and protecting vulnerable road users. ESS delivers advance warning through H.E.L.P.® Lighting Alerts, H.E.L.P.® Digital Alerts, and the H.E.L.P.® Alert Network. Earlier Awareness. Smarter Actions. Safer Roads. www.ess-help.com
