The Ohio Department of Transportation is retrofitting 1,600 trucks with new flashing lights to increase their visibility.

Officials with the department said the initiative was prompted by the number of vehicles rear-ending ODOT's snowplow trucks.

ODOT District 11 Deputy Director Lloyd Macadam said the lights on new plow trucks will be integrated into each of the state's 88 counties and 12 ODOT districts as a result of House Bill 487, which was signed into law by Ohio Gov. John Kasich in September.

The new law permits the use of flashing colored lights on ODOT vehicles, with the exception of blue and red, which are only used by law enforcement and emergency vehicles.

ODOT will use an amber, green and white color combination. Officials said studies have found that flashing green lights are more easily detected by the human eye.

"We'd like them to show up differently and be brighter and show up and have a new pattern, and that's what the whole purpose of these new lights are," Macadam said.

In addition to the 1,600 trucks that will be retrofitted with the new lights, all new trucks will come standard with them.

"The new lights are eye-catchers. It's a good thing for the traveling public," said Jerry Campbell, a plow driver for ODOT who added that the change is also a relief for many workers.

"We're always worrying about someone coming up behind us too close or not seeing us on a blind turn, and this ensures us that we have a little better visibility to the traveling public," Campbell said.

Drivers can expect to see the new lights in a few months, when winter weather is expected to hit the Ohio Valley. Officials said the goal is to have about 500 plow trucks retrofitted by the end of 2012, with the remainder of the fleet upgraded throughout next year.