Does not use reflex

Snowy winter makes the darkness even darker. At two of the secondary schools in our local area, reflex use is frighteningly bad. “Attitudes need to change,” says Trygg Trafikk.

 

Last Friday morning, Oppegård Avis launched a survey of two of the secondary schools in our area. The result is a little scientific but still sensational. From 0745 and about half an hour we observed the students who went to the secondary schools at Fløysbonn and Ingieråsen.

 

On the way to Fløysbonn, 49 students passed our car. Seven of them used reflexes. At the same time, another of us parked in Edvard Grieg’s road and observed 110 pupils coming to Ingieråsen school. Of these passers-by, we noted 83 persons without reflex. Of the 27 students with reflexes, one of them wore reflective vests. Some used reflexes around the arm, while others had it attached to the bag.

 

FIND FORWARD: Hans Martin Sørensen in Trygg Trafikk Viken says youth and adults are significantly worse at reflex use than children.

“This was a low number who used reflective material, but we know from our studies that the numbers of youth and adults who use reflex are generally low throughout the country,” says Sørensen.

 

He points out that it is extra important to use reflex now when the snow is not and it gets extra dark in the morning and evening.

 

The more reflex you use, the easier you are seen. If you use reflex, the motorist has more time to react than if you go without.

 

Conscious parents

Principal Erling Berrum at Ingieråsen School says that they have regular urges to use reflex.

 

“There is guaranteed room for improvement. All students should reflex when it is as dark as these days. It is important to change the attitude of the youth to reflex, and then it is important that the parents also get involved,” says Berrum.

 

On Tuesday this week, Trygg Trafikk presented a new survey showing a decline in reflex use among the Norwegian population. The reflections for 2019 show that the proportion of Norwegians using reflexes fell to 41 percent from 44 percent in 2018.

 

lifeguard

Hans Martin Sørensen in Trygg Trafikk has clear answers on how attitudes can be changed:

 

“A small reflex can be a lifesaver now as it is dark both in the morning and in the evening. Much of the job is probably about “bothering” to put the reflex on because we know that many have plenty of reflexes lying in both drawers and cabinets. Finding the reflexes and putting them on is the best tip,” says Hans Martin Sørensen.

 

Sten Tore Svennes, municipal director of upbringing in Nordre Follo, encourages both young people and adults to use reflective tape.

 

“This is an important topic that can often be addressed in the youth’s bodies such as class councils, student councils and youth councils and by the parents of the FAU. I would also encourage parents and others who meet the youth through sports associations, culture, and other leisure areas to help focus on reflex use and to use reflex themselves.”

 

How to choose the right school backpack and not harm the child

Children’s orthopedic surgeon told what to look for when choosing a bag.

 

There are only a few days left before the start of the school year, which means that if you have not yet collected your child for school, then you need to hurry. Pens, pencils, pencil cases, and notebooks – this is important, but you can hardly make a mistake with their choice. One of the most important attributes of any student (especially in the elementary grades) is a backpack. We talked with a pediatric orthopedist Olga Khamidulina, and she talked about what you need to pay attention to when choosing a portfolio and what errors can lead to.

 

If the child is a first-grader, he does not need to choose a very large backpack. Dimensions are one of the most important details. The second important rule is the weight. A full backpack should be 10-12% of the weight of the child. If the child weighs 30 kilograms, the backpack should be no more than three and a half kilograms, otherwise, it will already outweigh, you will have to constantly correct it, it will be inconvenient and harmful.

 

An equally important detail is the back. The backpack should be framed to keep fit and not outweigh. Accordingly, the back should be stiff. If it is not framed, it will be uncomfortable for the child, cause discomfort, things can dig into the body. Very important: backpacks must have a reflective material element – especially in the elementary grades. This is a traffic police requirement for all schools.

“Many parents believe that they have chosen some kind of magic backpack and it will save the child’s posture – this is not so. If you have health problems, first of all, you need to go to the gym, and not look for backpacks. Although, of course, an improperly selected portfolio can exacerbate posture problems. But if a child is not accustomed to keeping his back straight, if he does not pay attention to it, and his parents do not pull him, then no backpack will help,” says Olga.

 

To prevent the straps from rubbing, the backpack must be properly assembled: all heavy things fold down and closer to the back so as not to outweigh the center of gravity.

But the most important thing for parents is to understand that backpacks are an individual thing, they must be picked up together with the child himself. Even the right portfolio may not suit him by height, weight, back. So to come to the store and buy it without the presence of a child, in the hope that he is “right”, is a mistake. The child should put on a backpack, walk with him at least a little and say whether it is convenient for him, whether the straps are rubbed, whether he is too heavy.

We also asked the opinion of Oksana Musatova, a mother of two children. She shared her thoughts on what prices might be acceptable for baby bags:

 

What you should pay attention to the backpack should have a blown orthopedic back, reflective strips – in winter it is especially important, it gets dark early, the child may not be noticed on the street. Lightning should work well, they quickly fail. A first-grader backpack doesn’t have to be expensive, as young children still do not know how to keep track of portfolios, most often they drop them anywhere. This year we bought a younger one for 1200 rubles. But when the child becomes older, class in the third, you can already buy a good backpack. The eldest son goes to the sixth grade, he bought a backpack for 5000 rubles, the quality is excellent, backpacks are worth the price, but you don’t need to choose such a first-grader.

 

Handed out free lights and reflexes

Mehari Negash already had a light on the bike and got his thumbs up in the Visible Cyclist campaign on Tuesday morning. Those who rode without were given free lanterns and reflective tapes.

 

It is early Tuesday morning at Høvik school. Reflective clothing from FAU, the municipality and the newly formed local team for the Cyclists’ National Association are ready, equipped with boxes of lanterns and reflectors to get new owners.

 

“We want as many children as possible to go and ride to school. Throughout the fall when it gets darker, it is very important to be seen well in the dark. Therefore, we would like to help more people are equipped with reflex and light,” says Ingebjørg Tofte, adviser for environment and society in Lier municipality.

 

However, one of the first to come cycling is a little past school age. Mehari Negash is on his way to work at the Plantation, and Ingebjørg Tofte only has to give him praise for both wearing a reflective vest and having a light on the bike.

 

“Yes, of course, I have,” says Negash, who rides every single day. This year, he is also considering putting on deck tires and cycling through the winter.

 

Many of the schoolchildren who come walking are already well visible with luminescent backpacks, reflective vests, and reflectors. Some cyclists wear reflective vests and many have reflections on the bike, but not many have light.

 

-Light on the bike is an easy way to become visible, smart to use on all bike rides and – not least – mandated in the dark and at dusk. We hope that more people take the opportunity and cycle all autumn and winter, with lights from the Buskerudbyen. If you did not get light today, the bike shops locally have a good selection, says Trond Solem, project manager for bicycles in Buskerudbyen.

 

If you are stopped by the police without a light on the bicycle at dusk or darkness, you can get a simplified charge of NOK 1200.

 

The visible cyclist is the Cyclists’ annual national autumn campaign, where the importance of light and reflex on the bike is central. Locally it is implemented in collaboration with the municipalities of Buskerudbyen. In total, nearly 500 bicycle lights were distributed in Drammen, Lier and Kongsberg in the morning hours on Tuesday.

 

In which cases the driver can avoid the penalty for stopping in a prohibited place

For violation of the stopping and parking rules, the Administrative Code provides for various fines ranging from 500 to 5,000 rubles. However, in exceptional cases, traffic rules allow the possibility of parking cars in places where this is prohibited. The AutoVzglyad portal has figured out when a driver can do this with impunity.

 

The general provisions of the SDA (paragraph 1.2) contain the term “forced stop” when the vehicle stops moving in the following cases: a) a technical malfunction, b) the danger created by the cargo being transported, c) the danger in connection with the state of the driver or passenger, d ) the appearance of an obstacle on the way.

 

For example, if a wheel struck a car, you or a passenger felt unwell, or a pole fell on your way, then stopping the car in a prohibited place, according to the law, will be forced and you will not have any right to impose any sanctions.

 

In this case, the main thing is not to forget to perform the actions stipulated by the SDA: turn on the alarm and set the emergency stop sign. Recall that within the boundaries of the settlement, the “triangle” is installed at a distance of fifteen meters from the car, and outside the city – at least thirty meters from the car.

There is a third mandatory point – the driver must use all possible measures to remove the car from the forbidden zone: if there are forces, you have to push, there are no forces, you need to urgently call a tow truck. After all, we are talking about a forced stop, not a parking lot.

 

If the matter happened at the railway crossing, which is why no one is insured, you should immediately and immediately drop off all passengers so that they retire to a safe distance from the place of a possible accident. Then it is necessary to take measures to free the railway crossing from transport. While the train is far away, it is best to immediately send two people on both sides of the train to meet the trains, so that they signal the drivers about the obstacle in their way on time. In extreme cases, this should be done by the driver. To be noticed, you can swing the motley cloth to the sides or give light signals by a lantern. In all these cases, the car owner must use a reflective vest.

 

As practice shows, if a CCTV camera detects a car parked in a prohibited place, the car owner will, in any case, receive a “letter of happiness” – even if it is shot, how a person changes the wheel. In such cases, drivers have to appeal the protocols and prove in court that the stop was forced.

How to protect a pedestrian on the road in the dark

Klops publishes instructions for Kaliningraders on actions in extreme and everyday situations that require attention. Experts explain where to turn and how to act.

 

White or yellow clothes will make the pedestrian more noticeable for drivers, and the use of reflective material elements will significantly reduce the risk of getting under the car in the dark. Klops, with the help of the propaganda group of the regional traffic police, prepared recommendations for its readers on how to protect a pedestrian on the road.

 

Out of town – with reflectors

According to the rules of the road, in the dark, a pedestrian must use reflective fabric elements on clothing. In the city, this is just a recommendation, and outside the settlement, the requirement becomes mandatory. For violation, a fine of 500 rubles is imposed.

 

How to choose a light element

You can purchase a keychain with a reflective element and hang it on a bracelet. There are also badges and reflective stickers that can be attached to clothes, a backpack or a bag. Such trifles can be bought for 60 rubles at Russian Post offices, supermarkets, bookstores, and children’s stores, as well as at gas stations.

 

To choose a high-quality product, the traffic police advised us to photograph it with a flash.

 

“If the image is ‘illuminated’, then the material is of high quality,” the department explained, adding that the area of the retro-reflector should be at least 25 square centimeters.

 

The greatest safety at dusk and night for pedestrians will provide a special reflective vest. The larger the retro-reflector, the more likely it is that the driver will notice it.

 

Follow the rules of the road

On the edge of the roadway, pedestrians are required to move towards transport, the traffic police recalled. It’s easier to control everything that happens on the road. When approaching the car, it is recommended to slightly step aside, especially at this moment two cars are moving apart.

 

You can only walk along the sidelines of country roads. Walking on motorways is prohibited by law.

 

Invisible Pedestrian

A man in black clothes is invisible in the dark, while yellow and white clothes are visible even at night at a distance of 24-37 meters. The presence of a retro-reflective element will make the pedestrian visible to the driver for 200 meters, and in the high beam headlights – for 350 meters.

 

The traffic police reminded that in a critical situation, the car will not stop instantly. The braking distance on a dry road is 20 meters, on wet asphalt – 35, on packed snow – 70 meters.

 

In May, in the Ozyorsk district, a 15-year-old teenager was hit by a car to death. A schoolboy was walking along the side of the road towards Mayakovskoye village.