Month: January 2018

Winter – the police are calling for road safety

Winter is a dangerous time for all road users. Change in aura forces the change of driving technique – unfortunately, many drivers forget about it. Police officers APPLY for prudence and common sense. Incorrect speed to the conditions on the road may be the cause of the tragedy. The weather prevailing in our country makes the conditions on the road very volatile, treacherous and dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians. That is why traffic cops appeal to everyone about the road safety – drivers, cyclists and pedestrians – to be particularly careful and careful.

 

Roadways can already be frozen, and therefore slippery, and in such situations, the wheels easily lose their grip. Remember that precipitation or slush lengthen the braking distance of the vehicle, in extreme cases the driver may slip and not control the car. Overtaking, passing, cornering in such conditions can be very dangerous. Drivers should remember to move on the road with lights on and observe speed limits, and when weather conditions are worse – release under the rule that slower means safer. We appeal not to charge, think or anticipate threats.

 

You should pay particular attention to the depressions of the terrain, on hills, near forests and water reservoirs – the road can be particularly slippery there. Exercise extreme caution near pedestrian crossings. Also, be careful when commuting to them. If the pedestrian enters the passage, the driver may not be able to slow down. A special appeal is also directed to pedestrians wear a reflective vest so that they do not go directly in front of an oncoming vehicle. Even at the pedestrian crossing, make sure that the driver can slow down. Of course, the pedestrian takes precedence over the passage, but here the principle of limited trust is most applicable.

 

Every pedestrian and cyclist should also remember about their safety and take care to be visible. A reflective vest, key chain, headband or even a flashlight will make moving around a poorly lit road better visible to the oncoming driver. We would like to remind you that from August 31, 2014, all pedestrians who move around the dusk along the way outside the built-up area must have a reflection visible to the drivers. A fine threatens the lack of a reflective element. Although traffic regulations do not impose an obligation to use vests and reflective elements in the built-up area, they, largely, improve visibility. They give drivers valuable time to take the right response – often saving lives and health.

 

It is also important to remember about proper and compliant use of fog lights and daytime running lights (Article 51 of the Law on Road Traffic). An additional difficulty during this period, not only for drivers, is often a worse mood. Bad mood can affect the speed of reaction and concentration, which is also worth remembering when moving on the road.

 

Mandatory bike lighting – what do you need to remember

The spring-summer period is the perfect time to pull a bicycle out of the garage and take care of the condition and health, as well as to diversify sunny afternoons and evenings. It is also a great way to improve your well-being and spend some time in nature – preferably with friends or family. However, we must not forget that cycling is also a necessity to adapt to certain safety requirements. What is going on? We checked it.

 

When choosing a bike trip, we should remember to take care of your safety. That is why it is so important to check whether our bike meets all the most important requirements. One of them is lighting for the bicycle.

 

Why is the right bicycle lighting important?

Compulsory bicycle lighting is important not only due to legal requirements, but above all for the sake of safety. A cyclist who, for example, travels around a vacant space after dark and does not have any lighting, is almost invisible to the driver. Thus, it threatens not only yourself, but also other road users. If at some point, for example, he decides to turn, it can lead to an accident.

 

Bicycle lighting – recipes

According to the regulations in force, every cyclist is required to have at least two lights installed: white or yellow on the front and red on the back. It is very important not to swap their places! Such a distinction is intended to help car drivers to know which side the cyclist is facing – whether he is driving towards them or in the opposite direction. The lights may be flashing or not – it is a matter of debate, which of them is better visible to drivers. In addition, a red reflector should be placed at the back of the bike. The front can also be mounted, but it must be in white. Such light should be visible from a distance of about 150 m.

 

The bike can also be equipped with reflectors – on wheels (specifically on side planes) and pedals. And what about the cyclist? The law does not require the biker to wear flares, but we strongly encourage you to do so – says Anita Nicias from the Reflective Platform Company. – A cyclist who puts on wearing a reflective vest or even a reflective harness is incomparably better visible on the road from the one who only uses light, and this allows him to ride safely.

 

There are many options for choosing reflections – people who do not like large, loose vests, can choose a more suitable model or choose a reflective harness. Among the gadgets, we also find scarves and reflective hats – great for both adults and children.

If we are planning to spend the summer months on the road, make sure that our lighting and our bicycle are impeccable – this way we will not only save on a possible mandate, but also protect our own health and life.

 

The world of fashion promote vests and safety

Fashion designers are convincing that it saves lives, and our reporter checks it in practice. The reflective vest is the heroine of the clip made by road builders. The action “A2 that it is safe to bet on reflections!” is to convince young people that although the vests are not too stylish, it is worth to wear them, because they improve safety. The TVN24 reporter checked how much night wear this piece of clothing. A pedestrian with a reflection is visible from almost 100 meters, while a man in a black jacket appears in front of the mask unexpectedly, several meters in front of the vehicle. In this situation, there is no time to react.

 

How important is visibility on the road, also convinces Josef, head of the Road Traffic Department of the Municipal Police in Poznan. – Appropriate visibility is above all a guarantee of safety. Then when we are visible with reflective clothing, the driver can react and avoid an accident. Safe distance is a standard range of traffic lights, or 150 m. This distance is enough to control the vehicle, but only if we are visible.

 

The vest has the same cut for years, but it is still attractive because it has saved people’s lives for years. This is what we intend to promote – says spokesperson Sofia. Fashion people – designer Rowena, the founder of the Risk brand, will help in this. The result of cooperation is a short film with vests in the main role. – We want to persuade most people to have such vests – says Opals in the clip. For the promotion of high visibility vests, the well-known fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was once invited. “It’s yellow, it’s ugly, and it does not suit anything, but it saves lives,” he argued in the campaign. So you can say that road builders … follow fashion.

 

 

Insert the reflective vest into the storage compartment

Reflective vest – in Poland, passenger car drivers do not have to have it, but they should. It costs only PLN 7-10 and can save a life. In most European countries, reflective vests are mandatory equipment for cars and trucks (in some also motorcycles).

 

From 1 July, the obligation to have a vest was introduced in Germany. Its lack means a mandate of 15 Euros. The obligation applies only to drivers of cars registered in Germany, but for the sake of their own safety, it is also worth respecting them with us. In countries where vests are compulsory, they must be worn whenever the driver and passengers have to leave the vehicle, for example as a result of a breakdown or accident, on a highway or other road – except of course parking lots.

 

Reflective vests are already valid in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic (applies to foreigners), Croatia, Finland (you can have reflective stripes), France, Spain, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and in Italy. The regulations are not uniform – in one country, you only need one vest in the car and in others, and all passengers must have it. In some countries, this obligation also applies to motorcyclists and cyclists, if they are traveling on roads after dusk.

 

We advise you not to look for loopholes and apply the maximum variant – take as many retro-reflective vests as possible for the number of passengers traveling. The vest costs from 7 to 10 zlotys. You can buy it at every gas station, in supermarkets, on the internet. Let us just remember to meet the norm – reflective vests are allowed in 3 colors: yellow, orange or red-orange. It must also have 2 reflective stripes at the front and back.

 

When buying vests, do not forget about children, in the event of a car breakdown or an accident, they will be particularly vulnerable. Reflective vests must be carried in the cabin of the car, and not – as most drivers do – in the trunk. The idea is to be able to put on a high visibility vest before leaving the car. We would also like to remind you: in the event of a breakdown or accident, a warning triangle should be put in front of the car; passengers should get out of the car not on the road, only on the right side, on the roadside. It is not allowed to stay on the road without having to go down to the side or the barrier as soon as possible.

 

Police in safety vest said the driver would not lose his penalties

In June 2018, regulations will become effective, thanks to which, after obtaining 24 penalty points, the police in reflective vest will not take their driving license right away.

 

In the case of committing a traffic offense, the police officer not only lists the ticket, but also imposes an appropriate number of penalty points. The driving license will lose drivers who exceed the 24-point limit, and its recovery is possible only after re-checking qualifications in all categories. If the driver has a driving license for less than a year, the point limit is 20.

 

Currently, people who have penalties on their account can take training at their own cost to reduce their number. This does not apply only to drivers within one year from the date of issuing a driving license for the first time. In this way, you can reduce the account by six points, and such training can take place no more than once every six months. The training organized by the Road Traffic Center is PLN 300.

 

From June 4, 2018, when changes are due to take effect, after exceeding 24 penalty points, the driver will not automatically lose his rights. He will be directed to a special training, but if he does not take part in it within one month of the delivery of the administrative decision, then he will say goodbye to the driving license.

 

The training is to last, a total of 28 hours, and the driver must reserve four days for it. The cost is PLN 500, and after its completion, the account with penalty points will be zeroed. Participants will be acquainted with the theory and will be subjected to psychological research. You need to know that you cannot pass more than 6 weeks from referral to the course to recover the document. After completing the course, you will not be able to take part in it for the next five years. If the driver again exceeds the 24-point limit, he will lose his license. He will have to go to the course and pass the exam.

 

After the changes, the police officer in safety clothing will be able to punish the driver with a maximum of 10 penalty points, regardless of the number of offenses committed.

 

He died on the first day of the year, hit by a car

Deadly accident happened on the first day of the year, in Timisoara. A man walking on a bicycle without reflective vest lost his life after being hit by a car in the early hours of the morning.

 

It all happened on Monday morning around 6 o’clock. The 50-year-old man was riding a bike on Calera in Timisoara. However, as he did not wear the reflective safety vest, a driver did not notice him in time and hit him in full.

 

“A 37-year-old man was driving a car on Lego Road, from Remote to Timisoara, and at one point he had a 50-year-old biker. Following the accident, the 50-year-old man died, “said Acute Murrain, spokesperson for IPJ Times.

 

The doctors immediately came to the scene of the accident, but they could not do anything to save his life. Now the cops in reflective uniforms have opened a criminal case for guilty murder and are going to find out exactly how the tragedy happened.