It is December 21, the shortest day of the year. Let light, early dark. It is all the more important for traffic and cyclists to stand out in traffic. Even the dog can put a light or reflective tape on the collar.
When Rite pulled on her reflective jacket three years ago, her daughter laughed at her. Is not that a bit exaggerated, and then asked her. “Nowadays she does not say anything about it anymore and she goes on the street in a well-lit way,” says Heymans, who is taking a walk along the Liberation Path on the border between Rosalyn and Den Bosch with José Heave this cold December evening. They wear a yellow vest.
While the women from Rosalyn talk about the usefulness of their reflective clothing, a group of runners passes by. Yellow and red lights flicker in the darkness. Some have their arms covered with reflective strips. A little, further a red light flashes around the neck of a dog.
It is striking in these dark days: many walkers and runners wear fluorescent clothing and even dogs are clearly visible. Very good, but the cyclists stay behind. That turned out last month, when the police in Den Bosch wrote more than fifty fines for driving without light in a few days. She already announced that she would continue to carry out inspections in the context of the national campaign I am falling on.
However, the animal department in Den Bosch has also increased the demand for lighting or safety vest for animals, says employee Patrick Tile. In the case, there is a shelf for decorated: from safety lights to luminous harnesses and illuminated collars that can be charged via a USB stick. “The products are getting smaller and easier to carry,” explains Tile the increasing demand. “The safety of an animal is just as important as ours.”