The Vest That Saves Road Workers

Every day, 450,000 workers maintain four million miles of American roads — and they die at ten times the rate of other construction workers. This episode traces the invention of hi-vis clothing from military air-sea rescue to highway work zones, the thirty-year gap between the technology existing and a federal standard, and why the fatality rate — though dramatically improved — is now rising again thanks to distracted drivers. We also unpack the subcontracting chain that leaves immigrant workers exposed to wage theft and degraded safety gear. Episode #628810 — open it directly at myweirdprompts.com/628810