Tag: reflective material

Runners should be seen and aware of motorists

The Fort Knox Safety Office is asking runners to take added measures to stay safe when exercising on the installation during the winter months.

 

Safety Officer Joe Colson said the installation’s safety regulations in FKN 385-1011 have been updated with some clarification to the Personnel Movements on Roadways section.

 

The updates, according to Colson, reflect concerns by installation leaders that runners are not being safe and seen by drivers during times of low visibility, especially when they’re distracted because of technology.

 

“Soldiers must have some sort of reflective fabric when running in the Physical Fitness Uniform during hours of low visibility,” Colson said. Depending on command directives, they may not need reflective belts when they go to the gym, but some are leaving the gym and running with what they have on-with their earbuds still in their ears.

 

“They’re focused on what they’re listening to and ca n’t hear what ’s going on with the traffic.”

 

Runners not in uniform need to wear “a light-colored upper garment” at the very least, said Colson, though reflective material is a plus.

 

Neither runners nor drivers need distractions when on the move, Colson added.

 

“We have distracted drivers who are paying more attention to their devices than to others. Runners owe it to themselves not to be distracted, too,” he said.

 

He advised running defensively.

“The regulation reads that individual walkers, runners or informal groups of walkers or runners must yield the right of way to all vehicular traffic,” Colson stated. “Walkers and runners have the right of way over vehicles only at marked crosswalks. Many runners believe that they always have the right of way, but they should jog in place and wait for the traffic to pass.”

 

The direction of travel is also important and is affected by whether one runs alone or in a formation.

 

“If you’re running in a formation, you want to run with traffic because your group is easier to see and the traffic is required to slow to 10 mph,” Colson said. “Individuals choosing to run in the roadway shouldn’t run with their back to traffic but should run toward traffic where both runner and driver have a better chance to see each other and react if they need to.”

 

Consideration for one another is key to keeping everyone safer, according to Colson.

 

“We ask everyone to keep safety as aforethought,” said Colson. “It’s about drivers having respect for runners and runners having respect for the traffic simultaneously.”

Test ad suggesting Edmonton pedestrians wear reflective tape

Suggestions from the City of Edmonton that pedestrians should wear reflective tape to avoid collisions with vehicles as the daylight hours diminish are being met with a bit of backlash.

 

Will Edmonton adopt “Vision Zero”?

As part of its annual “Heads Up” campaign, the City of Edmonton put out a test ad to the Edmonton Insight Community that urges pedestrians to wear reflective material or attach reflectors to themselves to avoid being struck by a vehicle.

 

While the ad hasn’t been rolled out on the streets of Edmonton yet, some have shared the poster on social media. It shows a pedestrian wearing reflective tape and another carrying a flashlight. The same tips can also be found on the city’s website.

 

“When drivers are watching for headlights, wearing a strip of reflective material or a reflector can save your life,” the city’s website reads.

 

The test ad is part of the City of Edmonton’s “Vision Zero” campaign, a global initiative adopted by the city that aims to have zero fatalities and serious injuries on city streets.

 

Troy Pavlek, a local software developer who plans to run for Ward 11 councilor in the next municipal election, said the campaign goes against everything Vision Zero hopes to achieve.

 

“The big problem with this campaign is it continues a sort of trend the city has put forward where the onus seems to be on the pedestrian to modify their behavior to stay safe on the streets and that is not Vision Zero,” Pavlek said.

 

“When we’re saying it’s behaviors that need to be modified here, that’s the problem.”

 

The council hopeful said Vision Zero seeks to have the traffic system change to accommodate user behaviors, not the other way around. Pavlek believes the city should do more to make traffic infrastructure safer for pedestrians and drivers.

 

“Lighting crosswalks, putting more pedestrian crossing lights,” he said. “Extending curbs wherever pedestrians are frequently crossing is both a cheap and very effective way at signaling to pedestrians that: ‘this is a safe and convenient place to cross,’ as well as to drivers: ‘the road narrows here so you need to slow down. ‘ ”

According to the city, a pedestrian who wears dark clothing in the dark is not visible to drivers until they are 36 meters away from the vehicle.

 

“No matter who is at fault, a human body is no match for a vehicle. Pedestrians have only a 10 percent chance of surviving if the vehicle that strikes them is traveling over 50 km / h, “the city’s website reads.

 

A spokesperson with the city said pedestrians and drivers share responsibility when it comes to preventing collisions and it was not the intention of the test ad to place blame. While changes to infrastructure are in the works, Gary Dyck with the city’s Transportation Department said change doesn’t happen overnight.

 

“As you might guess, changing infrastructure takes time whereas daylight is decreasing now. So if we can tell pedestrians, drivers, to look out for each other now, we might save a life, “Dyck said.

 

“When it comes to a collision between a pedestrian and a car, a pedestrian always loses. So it doesn’t matter whose fault it is, the pedestrian loses. So if we can remind drivers to look out for pedestrians and pedestrians to be as visible as possible, we can save lives. ”

 

Pavlek maintains the initiative will discourage people from walking, which he said: “flies in the face” of what the cities messaging is supposed to be.

 

“We’re supposed to be prioritizing active modes of transportation – walking, cycling, taking public transportation – and instead, this puts pedestrians on the same level of responsibility as cars for managing their safety,” he said.

 

“It makes walking something that a pedestrian has to plan to do,” he continued. “When we make it more inconvenient for people to walk places by saying, ‘if you don’t wear reflective tape or reflective vest you’re insignificant danger’ that is going to make everyone less safe because we will get fewer people walking.”

 

Pavlek said it’s time to stop playing the blame game and instead, rally the city for a change.

 

“We need to stop blaming pedestrians, stop blaming drivers and start encouraging people to work together and encourage better design,” he said.

 

Shining vest for motorcyclists!

Reflective elements for clothing, such as reflective vests increase the safety of the motorcyclist. But there is something even more effective.

 

The death of a motorcyclist is often decided by fractions of a second. Therefore, experienced riders know that they must have eyes on the stopwatch and that they must “see” through the eyes of the car drivers. They often register them late, sometimes they completely overlook them. At the same time, little contact with the vehicle can end up disastrously for a scooter or motorcycle rider. It is therefore important that it is visible and identifiable to other road users from a sufficient distance. These words are especially true at night and in poor visibility, but the rain. Do not rely on the lights of the motorcycle or scooter itself. For other drivers, they may be fused or lost in the lights of other cars. Headlight motorcycle respectively. the scooter, moreover, may seem to some participants as a car in the distance.

 

Therefore, when you sit on a scooter or motorcycle, consider what you wear. If possible, choose bright clothes, ideally with glaring elements. These colors are seen from a much greater distance than dark. If you are driving in poor visibility, make sure your clothing has reflective fabrics. Reflection of light will significantly increase your visibility. The larger the reflective surface, the better for you. Ideally, the reflective surfaces are front, back and side, so that you can be seen from all sides. Many jackets, coats, and trousers have reflective elements right inside. However, these areas are often relatively small. However, there are many reflective jackets for motorcyclists with a larger reflective surface. Usually, these vests are in glowing green or orange color, so they improve your visibility during the day. Some are full, others mesh, some are fastened with Velcro, others with full zipper. Their price ranges from a few euros to 100 euros. A simpler and cheaper alternative is a reflective belt.

 

When buying a reflective vest, verify that it is CE certified. It is not only the durability of the vest but also the quality of the reflective surfaces. The advantage of the jackets as such is that they are lightweight, storable, so you can keep them in the box under the seat during the day, and when you get to the night, you can put them on any clothes. The only exception is the Macna Vision Vest, which is only compatible with Macna biker jackets. It is attached by a zipper at the back and two hook-and-loop fasteners at the front of the third at the back. That’s what we have to test. Available in different S – XXL sizes (depending on jacket size), it costs around 30 euros. Its advantage is that it is very light and in a folded form occupies minimal space. When properly attached to the jacket, it holds firmly even at high speeds. In summer, you will appreciate that it leaves the ventilation holes of the jacket exposed. On the contrary, the disadvantage is that it is only visible from the front and back, and the reflective surfaces are, also, relatively small. The biggest disadvantage, however, is that it is only compatible with Macna jackets. I recommend it more visibility during the day. For the night I would choose a reflective vest with larger areas, and especially one that has reflective areas on the side.

 

Whatever clothes you buy, you will always have to rely on the car’s headlight to illuminate you. And it only illuminates you when the car is already relatively close. The higher the reflective material elements are, the later the car headlamp illuminates them. In other words, the higher the reflective elements, the closer the car is to you when it illuminates you. But there is another option – a jacket or vest with Scilif SunFibre technology. These are light filaments that actively emit light in all directions – in our case of a glaring light green color. Drivers will register you from a long distance, much sooner than their headlight would illuminate. Under ideal conditions, a vest with such a fiber is visible up to a kilometer! I would like to remind you that the most modern LED headlamps with support laser beam have an afterglow of about 600 meters, headlights of ordinary cars are somewhere on the border of 200-350 meters. And that is what we are talking about about the range of high beams. But let us return to our village. Vest Not only shines, but the specific shape of the light filament in the shape of a human silhouette will attract the attention of other drivers. Drivers will see you in it, even in a bend. The light filament itself is placed in a textile wrapping – so-called piping. It makes it possible for the light fibers to be sewn into any textile material, in our case a reflective vest. However, they can also be used in back bags and the like. Paspules increase the mechanical resistance of the fiber and at the same time increase the overall luminous intensity. Included in the vest is a small control unit with a battery and a source with two LEDs. Press and hold the corresponding button on the control unit for 3 seconds to turn the light on or off, brief pulses to change the light intensity in 3 degrees and the light or flash mode. Just in flashing mode, the vest attracts the attention of the drivers even more strongly.

 

According to intensity, respectively. In the flashing or flashing mode, the vest will stay on for 2.5 – 20 hours. The battery is charged via a micro USB connector, for example from a computer. However, a power adapter is also included. The charging method is an advantage on the one hand, because it is simple, on the other hand, a disadvantage. Because if you run out of battery while traveling, you don’t have a chance to buy and replace the batteries with your pump. The control unit with a battery and light source are located on the back of the vest in a small zippered pocket. The tested vest has not only luminous fibers but also classic reflective surfaces, which further increases your safety. The vest itself is mesh, which ensures ventilation of the body in summer. It is light (you can not feel the presence of electricity at all), it can be folded (even luminous fibers are flexible). The vest is made of high-quality materials, it is resistant to external influences including rain. When it gets dirty, you can wash it in an automatic washing machine – at a temperature of up to 40 °C for a manual washing program. However, you must first remove the control unit. This vest costs 159 euros, which is not enough, but what to invest if not in your safety? There is currently no better solution on the market.

Reflective vests are designed to protect pedestrians

Without reflective waistcoat or tape either to the store or to the neighbor. This may look like this year in Slovak villages and towns. In an amendment to the Road Act, the Ministry of the Interior suggests that pedestrians walking along the road should wear safety features in poor visibility if they do not walk on the sidewalk. Today they need to have reflective fabrics on their clothes only when they are outside the village.

 

With this measure, the Ministry wants to prevent traffic accidents, which usually end to the detriment of pedestrians. Out of the 442 accidents, last year caused by pedestrians, up to 384 has occurred in the village. If they do not have them, they can be fined 60 euros.

 

“I consider it stupid. In my opinion, it would be sufficient if only cyclists were to have a reflective sign. I cannot imagine that I should always wear such a vest. And there is also a financial factor. In our country, there are ten-member households who live in poor social conditions. I can’t imagine buying a reflective vest for everyone in the family,” says Silvia Juhászová, a 33-year-old resident of Camoviec in the Lučenec district.

 

Thirty-seven-year-old Fiľakovcan Tomas Csík understands the effort to protect pedestrians but does not agree with fines if they do not have reflective elements. “In the evening I use to walk a few meters to the neighbors. I am careful about cars. When any goes, I step aside to keep my eyes off. I cannot agree with the draft of such a law,” added 64-year-old Jan Hornan from Trebeľovce near Lucenec.

 

The mayor of Liptovsky Jan Juraj Filo cannot imagine how he explains the new duty to tourists. The village is visited annually by about 500 thousand. “If a foreign visitor gets such a fine for something, he won’t come anymore,” says Filo. The mayor of Strba, Michal Sykora, says there is no need to worry about the reflective elements. “I also try to explain to young people that it is not just a reflective vest, and these reflective elements can also look modern.”

 

The ministry points out that stricter rules for pedestrians have necessitated a negative trend in the number of accidents in which the most vulnerable road users die or suffer serious injuries. Last year, according to police statistics, 15 people were killed on roads, two of them children. “Pedestrians caused a total of 442 traffic accidents last year, of which 384 were in the village,” police spokeswoman Denisa Balogh said.

 

On the side of stricter regulations is also inclined to traffic analyst Jozef Drahovský, according to which drivers do not have many possibilities to deal with unmarked pedestrians or cyclists. “They only have to anticipate and think that there may be someone on the road,” he says, not even street lighting helps in dense fogs.

 

Marian Cabák from the School of Safe Driving says that people are often reluctant to invest even a few euros in reflective things unless they are explicitly ordered to do so. The price for a reflective vest with reflective material ranges from three euros upwards. Similarly, there are other elements, as the law permits them. They can also be reflective belts on the sleeve, smileys on school bags or various other iron-on transfers.

 

If the proposed amendment passed, the mandatory labeling in the municipality would become the same offense as the non-marking of a pedestrian outside the municipality today. This is subject to a fine of up to EUR 60.

 

Slovakia is not the only country trying to protect pedestrians with protective features. Czech transport police chief Tomas Lerch said last week that he wanted to create a discussion on mandatory reflective elements for all who would go out at night. He also wants to find a compromise whether it should be in the village, outside or everywhere.

 

Going on a bike tour? We will advise you what to take with you and where to go

Summer and autumn are ideal times for getting to know your surroundings from the bike saddle. If you like active relaxation, cycling may be the right thing for you. You are just starting on a bike and do not know what you can see on the way? Or have you covered thousands of kilometers and are you looking for inspiration for interesting routes? Let’s try to give you some tips.

 

First of all, it is necessary to check the technical condition of your bike. If you don’t dare to check it yourself, for a few euros they will take care of its complete inspection at every cycle service.

 

Being easily visible is essential

In the event of poor visibility, it is important to wear some reflective material elements, whether classic reflectors on a bicycle or reflective fabrics on clothing. If the reflective vest is unacceptable to you, you can also choose from less noticeable reflective bands. You can attach them to your shoulder or backpack. Varied is also the offer of clothing with reflective surfaces.

If you are unsure whether you come back in the light, make sure you have enough lighting. A flashing light at the back and a small front lamp on the bike should be a matter of course.

 

Prepare for minor repairs

When cycling, many things can go wrong on the bike. You need some tools for minor repairs. Where to put it? There are small seat bags on the market, often sold filled with basic tools. The second option is slightly larger pockets for the bicycle frame. But many people love the backpack. If you do not mind the load on your back and suffer sweating, this is the ideal option. In addition to the tools, you can comfortably carry water, food or spare clothes.

 

You may also be interested in: Handle the return to the saddle cool: Put your bike in shape!

 

What specifically should you take with you? The most common failure on the bicycle is a puncture. Do not forget the mounting levers, mini pump, and spare tube. Before driving, check that it is OK. A defect bonding kit is also used. Whether you prefer it or the soul is up to you, you can wear both for sure. Many problems are solved by a set of hexagonal hex keys. It is unnecessary to wear them all, so try those you may need and wear only those. To adjust the derailleur after an unpleasant fall, you will appreciate a flat-blade screwdriver;

 

Clothing will make your experience pleasant

It is also important to dress properly. You’ll hate old cotton t-shirts after a few kilometers. Sweaty gain, not only weight but also a significant aromatic trace. And probably nobody wants people to look for him because of the smell. Cycling t-shirts are made of modern materials that wick sweat away from the body well, while not keeping it as cotton. If you choose such a shirt, it is good if its fibers are enriched with elements of silver. This prevents the smell from spreading, otherwise, this shirt smells even more cotton. The advantage of these T-shirts is also good ventilation, which often has a zipper to regulate the air supply. Also on your back, you will find pockets in which you can put not only a bottle but also other small items.

 

But most important are pants. First of all, look at the pad. Rather, invest more in quality than you should curse a piece of cheap foam between you and the saddle after a few kilometers. On the bike you can do with classic sneakers, if you think more serious, reach for the third. You can choose from hiking to hardsports, the decision is yours.

 

We take the cycling helmet as a matter of course. You will also enjoy gloves and goggles.

What to pack with me?

You don’t need much for a day trip. If your route leads through places where you can buy supplies, all you need is your wallet and water. Especially in these heats, it is important to maintain a regular drinking regime. A variety of ionic drinks are available, which you can buy at many cycling or nutritional supplement stores. They are useful as the prevention of cramps and can also increase your performance. Various energy bars and gels are very good. Even if you are not a top athlete, they will certainly make your tour easier. It is good to have something else with you. It is important to carry with you more supplies than to stay hungry and thirsty somewhere in the forest. Take a light jacket for longer hikes and in variable weather conditions. Leave the raincoat at home, the bike will sweat and the body will not breathe through the plastic.

 

Everything ready, we can go

So where to go? Slovakia is rich in various cycling routes, you will find some in every corner of it. Let’s introduce you to just a few of the best-known sites. Surroundings of the capital wish mainly road cyclists. You will find many well-maintained cycle routes. You can take the Danube Bicycle Road to Hainburg, Austria. With better fitness is also an interesting trip to Lake Neusiedl.

 

Central Slovakia is represented by terrains around Banská Štiavnica. Not too long climbs, but some quite steep perfectly test your fitness. By bike, you can get to know the mining history of this town and the surrounding mysteries. The north of Slovakia and the surroundings of Zilina are also attractive. You can enjoy less demanding cycling in the picturesque villages of Orava such as Terchová or Čičmany. Mountain bikes can be used in the valleys of the Great and Small Fatra.

 

You may also be interested in: Are you going to buy a new bike? Do not forget these things!

 

Eastern Slovakia also offers many opportunities, Strážovské Hills and Ondavská Highlands are suitable for fans of mountain biking. Less demanding will certainly appreciate the routes around Domaš, Prešov or Levoča. Low Tatras are also popular. The highest marked cycling route leads to the top of Kráľova hole. However, it is not suitable for road bikes, because the lower part leads along a forest road and driving on thin tubular tubes, especially downwards, will probably suffer. Nice and interesting routes can also be found in the High Tatras. Well-known are the Popradské Pleso and Silesian House. The pearl is the route to the cottage at the Green Ball. But we warn the less experienced to be careful. Especially in the last part, there are many really big stones on the pavement. So if you regularly drive along wide forest roads to your apartment and feel like a good mountain biker, this is the perfect chance to test your skills. We recommend a full suspension bike and a lot of experience so that this tour does not become a cake for you.

 

Do not overestimate your strength

That is the basic rule, especially in the case of severe heat. Plenty of fluid and common sense. Remember, it’s not a shame to get out of the bike, sit in the shade and relax in peace. You don’t have to break records and chase with the younger ones. Cycling is about enjoying nature, having a pleasant conversation with friends and strengthening your health. Not to destroy it. So find your hobby in it and she will reward you. It lets you identify places that would otherwise be hidden from you.

 

Revolution on the road: No risk of wearing reflective elements!

Revolution on the road! Today, at midnight, a new duty began to apply to pedestrians, who now have to wear reflective material elements at night and in poor visibility to be well visible, otherwise, they face a fine of up to two and a half thousand crowns. But as we found out tonight, pedestrians hardly know about it, and so they don’t.

 

People do not know about the new regulation at all, or simply because they are to have reflective elements on them. People returning home along the road at night are not visible at all. From today on, police officers can impose a fine of up to two thousand fines on unenlightened pedestrians.

 

For example, some pubs are already thinking of getting reflective tapes or waistcoats for their regulars and lending them for their night return home.

 

Police throughout the country in the coming days and weeks are planning special night events focused on pedestrian controls. In one breath, however, they promise that they will be a little more benevolent about fines for offenses, at least initially.

 

For example, the measure has already been introduced in Slovakia, and in five years of operation, the number of killed pedestrians has decreased by almost half. Over the past three years, more than five hundred pedestrians have died in the Czech Republic, more than three hundred at night.

Novice drivers cannot drive at night

Scientists from the Brno University of Technology have developed a unique methodology for night driving. It was created based on research that looked at the reactions of drivers to pedestrians in the dark in real traffic. Driving at night is the most difficult for beginners, yet driving school textbooks do not.

What influences the visibility of pedestrians at night and how fast is the driver’s reaction? Researchers from the Institute of Forensic Engineering investigated answers directly in the field between the municipalities of Lednice and Břeclav.

 

They involved four helmets and more than two dozen drivers. They used special glasses with recording cameras for research. “The first camera rotates with the driver’s head, which means that it senses where the driver is looking, and the second camera captures the driver’s eye. They measure the direction of the viewpoint,” said the head of research at the Institute of Forensic Engineering of BUT.

 

By comparing the two records, the scientists concluded that while a man dressed in white would be seen by a driver with low beams turned on for nearly eighty meters, pedestrians in black only for thirty. In the first case, the driver has four seconds to react, but in the second he has only a second and a half.

Some reflective material elements may not be seen by drivers

Although the law requires pedestrians to wear reflective elements outside the village, it does not say exactly what and how. Some reflective tapes, for example on the shoulder, may not be sufficient, according to experiments by the Institute of Forensic Engineering. “It is important that the pedestrian use more reflective elements and some on the lower body,” said Robert Aldus. Research also found that a muddy car is harder to see at night than during the daytime, and pointed out the danger of a nightly collision with wildlife.

 

Based on these results, the researchers developed two methodologies. One is used by forensic experts to deal with traffic accidents, and the other – Driving in Visibility Reduced by Darkness – can be used by driving instructors in their classes. Educational textbooks on the market deal with this issue only marginally or not at all.

 

The driving school has acquired a simulator and offers a special course

Petr Simara from Brno uses his teaching materials in his driving school and also bought a simulator that can simulate driving at night. “I think it’s a question of the driving school. How he does it and how much space he can and the interest of the client, said the driving school operator Petr Šimara. Therefore, for an additional fee, it also offers an above-standard course, where people can try night driving even in normal traffic.

Experts recommend that instructors devote at least one hour of theory to future drivers and two hours of theory to professional drivers instructing night driving. In their view, it would also be appropriate if questions related to this problem were raised in driving tests.

 

Cyclists and pedestrians, reflective elements can save your life in the dark

The cyclist is obliged to be illuminated at night, the pedestrian must have reflective elements outside the village. Reflective vest stands like two beers, yet we meet “invisible” pedestrians or cyclists every day. The fine is the least that can happen to them.

 

With short days and early twilight, you can find out more about drivers’ attention. But they are not alone on the road. Particularly in rural areas, he shares roads, often poor conditions, with pedestrians and cyclists who do not have a walkway or bike path.

 

How to fog lights? They can not only help but also do harm

These road users are the most vulnerable, but they sometimes behave as if they were immortal and walk or drive along the roadside in the dark without lighting or reflective material elements. It is hardly two months since we wrote about a pedestrian who was knocked down and injured to the hospital, probably because in the dark he walked on the road without lights or reflective elements.

 

Police statistics speak similarly. Over the past five years, more and more pedestrians have died on the road at night than in the daytime. In 2018 it was 55 by day vs. 58 at night. The largest number of pedestrian accidents, not necessarily fatal, occurred in December. November was second and January was third. And most pedestrian accidents occurred between 4 pm and 5 pm.

 

Reflective bracelets cost only twenty crowns. A larger and more visible reflective vest costs about 50 crowns, and when not needed, easily fits in your pocket or purse. It may not suit you, but safety on the way home is more important.

 

Since the beginning of 2016, ie for three and a half years, it has been instructing pedestrians to use reflective elements, paragraph 9, § 53 of Act 361/2000 Coll. on traffic on roads: “If a pedestrian is moving outside the village in poor visibility along the verge or at the edge of the road in a place not illuminated by public lighting, he/she is obliged to wear elements of retro-reflective tape material placed to be visible to other participants traffic on the roads.”

 

For cyclists, this is governed by paragraph 5 of § 58 of the same law: “In poor visibility, the cyclist is obliged to have a headlamp with white front light and a rear lamp with a red light while driving.”

 

If these obligations are not fulfilled, the pedestrian or cyclist may face a fine of up to CZK 2,500. However, this is negligible compared to what can happen to an “invisible” pedestrian or cyclist.

Pedestrians in the dim light on the roads?

Every year hundreds of pedestrians hit cars on South Moravian roads. This year, by the end of October alone, the police have registered over three hundred such cases. Fourteen people died in accidents.

 

This number is likely to grow by the end of the year, as winter months are the riskiest for pedestrians on the road throughout the year. “Statistics clearly show that there is an increased number of pedestrian clashes in winter. This is most evident in fatal accidents, “said Pavel Cizek, the regional coordinator of Besip for the South Moravian Region.

 

The increase in pedestrian accidents is due to reduced visibility in winter due to early dimming and dimness in the morning. “The combination of darkness and dusk with fog or rain makes the sighting conditions worse,” Cizek said. He added that pedestrians often contribute poor clothing to poor visibility.

 

For example, this year the man who crossed the main route in Brno-Svitavy paid for it. A passing driver of a man in dark clothes without reflective material elements did not register in time and knocked him down. The wounded man escaped only a slight wound.

 

The right choice of clothing can save lives for pedestrians on poorly lit roads. The driver recognizes a man in blue clothes only when he is about eighteen meters away. Much better visibility is in white or yellow garments, which reaches up to fifty meters.

 

Reflective vests or belts are the most effective means of improving visibility. “The highest quality reflective elements increase visibility up to two hundred meters. After seeing a pedestrian, the drivers have a longer time to react and thus avoid a clash, ”said police spokesman Pavel Svab.

 

However, poor visibility is not the only reason for caution on winter roads. “Drivers must also count on a longer stopping distance on wet, icy or snowy roads,” Swab emphasized.

 

In his opinion, drivers often underestimate the longer stopping distance in winter and also forget that there is a significant difference in the visibility of pedestrians on the road using the main beam and dipped beam. In the long-range, the surveillance distance is one hundred meters, while driving with dipped beams the distance is reduced by half.

 

Caution is needed not only for drivers but also for pedestrians. “They do not realize that they cannot move in the same way as in the summer months. Not rushing in winter pays off, “Cizek said.

 

About a third of all pedestrian accidents happen at crossings. According to police, people underestimate the risks and switch to red or enter the crossing directly in front of an oncoming car. “Sometimes people don’t look to the right or left and rely on them to take precedence over the transition. Sometimes I can just brake, “complained the driver Michal Benes.

 

Earphones are also dangerous. The pedestrian does not perceive noises from the street, such as the noise of an approaching car, the ambulance siren or the bell of a tram.

 

Police are trying to point out irresponsible behavior at various preventive actions. At the end of October, for example, they organized a meeting See us! in Bučovice in the Vyskov region or Firefly in Moutnice in the Brno region. Participants learned about the risks in the cold months as well as the importance of reflective tape elements that are often distributed at police events.

 

However, prevention also involves more frequent punishment. “Since we have not seen a major shift in their discipline, we are increasingly dealing with pedestrian violations by block fines,” explained Svab. In October alone, Brno police officers dealt with over three hundred offenses.

 

Brno also decided to increase safety at some crossings. The town hall newly lit twenty-five crossings. “We have identified crossings mainly near primary and nursery schools, where children go to school and after school, especially in the winter months in the dark,” explained Brno spokesman Pavel Zára.

Reflective elements will be mandatory, wear them on your feet

Pedestrians will have to wear reflective elements in the dark or fog on roads outside the village. The sanction in the law, which will now be assessed by deputies, is proposed from 1 500 to 2 500 crowns. Experts advise having glowing surfaces on your feet.

 

With reflective material elements that can reflect the incident light from the vehicle’s lamps, the pedestrian is visible to the driver up to 200 meters. Conversely, if the clothing is black or blue, it is only 18 meters. However, the reflective elements do not work much in fog, rain or snow.

 

In some countries, the mandatory use of reflective vests for pedestrians has reduced the number of deaths. Reflective elements can reduce pedestrian exposure to a fatal accident up to ten times in poor visibility. In addition to a vest, a suitable solution is a backpack or jacket with reflective elements.

 

“We found it better to move the light area,” says Robert Sťastný from Skoda Auto. “Reflective tape elements are better to have on the limbs we move than on the body or backpack,” he adds.

 

The amendment was approved by the government

In poor visibility, significant reflective elements will be mandatory outside the municipalities. The Ministry of Transport originally wanted the obligation to apply also within the municipalities, but this obligation was dropped from the proposed amendment at the Government Legislative Council.

 

“We should explain to pedestrians that this is for their safety, but our legislators have convinced me that we need a sanction,” said Transport Minister Dan Tok. After approval by the government, the amendment goes to parliament – read more here.

 

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable in November

“Every pedestrian should know that in dark clothes, he is almost invisible in the dark on the road. A driver who does not see the pedestrians in time cannot respond quickly and avoids pedestrians safely,” explains Katarína Ardová from Goodyear.

 

The most common clashes of cars with pedestrians occur in autumn and winter due to reduced visibility. According to statistics, November is the riskiest month for pedestrians.

 

Even if drivers drive only one-fifth of the total mileage at night, nearly 50 percent of all major road accidents happen at night or in the dark.