Tag: reflective materials

Pedestrians outside the village must have a reflective sign

Reflective tape or sticker is now a mandatory accessory for pedestrians moving on the road outside the village in poor visibility. This is said by the amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which only applies for a few days. Pedestrians may also be fined for non-compliance.

 

Fog, rain, dusk or snow blizzard can complicate drivers’ views from the car. In doing so, they must see the pedestrians in time and be able to react. If a person has dark clothes, the driver registers them up to twenty meters. The white color is visible at 55 meters. The ideal reaction distance is 200 meters. And this is guaranteed only by reflective elements. Under the amendment to the Road Act, they are now mandatory for pedestrians for reduced visibility on roads between municipalities.

 

The phone is Pavel Rakus, the BESIP coordinator:

“In BESIP, we would like to see that the obligation to wear reflective materials would not be reduced only by several sections outside the municipality. We would like it to be always in poor visibility. It may not be just dark, but also heavy snowfall and the like.”

 

Pedestrians should be aware that they are difficult to see not only in the dark but also at dusk or dawn. And everybody should buy a reflective tape for their safety.

 

Petra Stonišová, spokesman of the Municipal Police of Opava:

 

“The law does not directly determine where the reflective elements should be and how they should look. It’s good for them to be on the moving parts – on the wrist, above the ankle.”

 

Police officers and police officers will now check that pedestrians do not forget about reflective signs.

 

Pedestrians will be fined up to 2500 crowns if they are not followed. But the guards will be more aware of the education at this point and will be more alert to pedestrians that they should have these reflective elements.

 

Stickers, patches, pendants or hand straps are available in haberdashery or bicycle shops. Mohdy is already fluorescent substances sewn into the seams of jackets or school bags or backpacks. Reflective signs which made of reflective heat transfer vinyl certainly increase the safety of pedestrians on the road.

Not seeing? You play with life

In 2009, 37 pedestrians died at night, some of them also because they were not visible. Prague children learn to wear reflective elements.

Maybe not much was missing, and Jan Vasa, ten, could also be the victim of the accident. As he recalls, more than a year ago, he almost hit a vehicle.

 

“Fortunately, nothing happened in the end,” says the boy from Újezd nad Lesy, who won the photographic competition We Want to Be Seen on Friday.

 

The task was to promote the use of reflective tapes on clothing. In 2009 alone, 127 people were killed in the Czech Republic in poor visibility, 480 were seriously injured and 3537 were slightly injured.

 

Parts of them may not have happened if these people were visible. In Prague, for example, all first-graders get reflective vests – and so do

they are a common standard in kindergartens. But with increasing age, the use of reflective elements is rapidly decreasing.

 

Anyone can have a small supplement

“Today it is fashionable to walk a lot in black, gray and other colors that are not very visible. Yet it can ‘be seen’ to save lives in confusing places. Some small accessory will not hurt anyone,” said Jarmila Johnová from the Prague Mother Association. This together with the association Oživení and the Partnership Foundation organized the competition.

 

Many Prague schools took part in the event, besides Újezd from Kunratice or Slivenec.

 

“Children were tasked to photograph themselves, their classmates, teacher or family member posing or walking, riding a bicycle, skating or scooter. The condition was that each contest participant should have a reflective accessory in a visible place,” explained Petra Lukešova.

 

“We hope that the campaign will help make reflective materials on clothing, handbags or backpacks a matter of course, not only for children but also for adults, as is the case in many other European countries, such as Sweden or the Netherlands,” John concluded.

 

Sweden wants to have such a safe operation that by 2020 no one should die in operation.

 

Do you ride your bike at dusk? Be seen

Probably all of us sometimes found ourselves in a situation where we had to go cycling in the dark or even after dark. During the summer holidays and all-day cycling trips, it is not unique at all. However, it should be remembered that you need to be well visible. From a distance and all sides. As with pedestrians, the rules of visibility apply to cycle.

 

The driver reacts with a delay

The cyclist needs to be seen by the driver of the vehicle in time so that he can avoid it in time. Note that the driver reacts with a delay. To stop or stop the chauffeur in time, the driver must see you from a distance. Before the driver even begins to react, they pass more than two seconds and during that time the vehicle travels a relatively long distance.

 

The cyclist must be seen from all sides

From behind: The cyclist rides on the same side as vehicles that drive much faster, so visibility from behind is important. For this reason, the wheel must be equipped with mandatory red reflectors (rear and pedal) and red rear light. The light may also flash.

 

From the side: The cyclist crossing the intersection on the main road must be seen for vehicles coming from the side road, so it must also be seen from the side. It is necessary to have orange reflectors on the wheel spokes. However, you must not forget the reflective elements of clothing.

 

Front: In poor visibility, the wheel must be equipped not only with reflectors but also with a front light. However, you can significantly increase your safety by using reflective materials on your clothing.

Reduced visibility is not only in the dark.

 

Visibility is also impaired in fog, heavy rain, snowfall, from dusk to dawn, or in a tunnel. Again, the best assistant is the reflective vest, because it is not only equipped with reflective stripes but is made of luminous (fluorescent) material, so it is easy to see even in dim light and reduced visibility.

 

Most cautious must be a cyclist in the dark or rain

The driver has poor visibility, thanks to the raindrops on the vehicle’s window, the ambient lights “break” and the driver are also dazzled by the lights of oncoming vehicles.

 

Be seen, equip with reflective elements

Reflective elements can save lives. The time has come when pedestrians and cyclists should think twice about it. Under low visibility, typical of autumn and winter months, they are much more vulnerable when on the road and should never count on drivers to see them in time. They should be equipped with reflective elements for increased safety. The obligation to use them is determined by legislation.

 

Under the Road Traffic Act, visibility is not only reduced in darkness but is a situation where drivers and other road users are unable to identify vehicles, people or other objects on the road sufficiently. This means that wearing reflective accessories is not enough in the dark. Pedestrians and cyclists should also fasten them in case of fog, heavy snowfall or dusk.

 

The legislation does not precisely specify how the reflexive supplement should look and where it should be located. “The reflective accessory that makes a pedestrian or cyclist visible should be at least the size of a reflective tape placed on the wrist or ankle. It is best to place the limbs closer to the center of the road so that the highlight is visible to the driver from both directions,” explains Jan Polák for the Road Safety Team. In poor visibility, drivers most perceive pedestrians with reflective accessories placed on moving parts of the body.

 

Particular attention should be paid to motorists in traffic by children. Child traffic is the most vulnerable group in daylight. Also, they can blend in with the surroundings more than an adult in poor visibility, especially between parked vehicles, pedestrian crossings or roadside. “In the following autumn and winter months, children will go to and from school or clubs in the dark or dark. Parents should think about their safety and equip their children with reflective elements. The fluorescent accessories and reflective fabrics in the form of patches can also be improved on clothing, briefcases, backpacks, etc.,” adds Zuzana Pidrmanová, Head of the Prevention Department of the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic.

 

The importance of the use of reflective accessories is also highlighted by the current issue of the magazine Strestenov, which was created under the auspices of Margaret’s traffic education. Members of the Road Safety Team take him to school to talk to them about safe road behavior. “There is a large selection of reflective materials and accessories on the market. Some are already included in clothing, school briefcases, and backpacks. Children can also be seen by reflective laces, they can clip various pendants, belts or school bag covers. There are several possibilities. In our lessons, we try to explain to them that reflective material is not a shame, and it is important to have it. They depend on which option they choose,” adds Marketa Novotna, a traffic education methodology.

 

Don’t underestimate your safety, be seen!

Autumn has begun. This season brings many unpleasant phenomena. Late dawn, soon dimming, visibility is reduced due to weather conditions. Reduced visibility is a common cause of many tragic accidents.

 

Their victims are often pedestrians and cyclists. They are the weakest road user and are the most vulnerable. They have very little chance against cars, motorbikes, and trucks.

 

Cars are obliged to light, pedestrians do not have such a possibility. Cyclists must be illuminated, but in many cases, they are not. “Seeing and being seen” is the basic rule of road safety. It pays twice for reduced visibility. Drivers who hurt pedestrians agree that they have not seen him at all or too late.

 

Visibility can be enhanced by suitably colored clothing and accessories made of fluorescent and reflective materials that increase the light contrast to the background and extend the distance a pedestrian or cyclist can notice.

 

Fluorescent materials increase visibility in daylight and dusk but lose their function in the dark. The most commonly used colors are bright yellow, green and orange.

Reflective materials reflect light in a narrow cone to the source, up to a distance of about 200 meters. Significantly increase visibility in the dark and in reduced visibility.

Reflective material is visible at night 3 times greater than white clothing and more than 10 times greater than blue clothing.

 

Keep in mind that at 75 km / h, the driver needs at least 1.5 seconds to realize the danger and respond accordingly – in that time he has traveled 31 meters. And before he starts his evasive maneuver, he walks more than 150 meters from a pedestrian sight. For this quite simple task, which happens on the roads countless daily, the driver needs about 200 meters. And at such a distance, a pedestrian can only see if he is wearing reflective vests.

 

It is best to place objects made of reflective materials close to the knees, at the ends of the sleeves and the waist level. The point is, if we have only one reflective tape, to have it on the side facing the road and not to have it somewhere under clothing, but visible from all sides. Children can then get clothes that are already equipped with elements of reflective materials, as well as already equipped school bags.

 

Police warn drivers and all road users not only about their safety but also about the safety of others. Do not count on the fact that it can never happen to you. Those who did not return home would certainly act differently today. But they do not have a chance.

Are reflective elements obligatory even in cities?

Since last February 20, people are obliged to wear reflective elements while walking outside the village in poor visibility. However, the number of dead pedestrians did not reduce it much. This year, by the end of October, 79 people died on the roads in the Czech Republic, only by six less than in the previous year. According to experts, it would be beneficial if reflective elements were mandatory for pedestrians on any road, including in a city or municipality.

 

“I proposed to introduce this obligation across the board in 2014 when I was still at the Ministry of Transport (MD). However, I was told at the time that it would be too much because people should not be burdened with excessive obligations,” Roman Budský of the Road Safety Team said on Wednesday.

 

The Czech Republic should be inspired by the example of Slovakia, Finland, and Estonia, where the obligation to wear reflective elements applies across the board.

 

Asked if people would have to wear reflective vests or belts even on Wenceslas Square in Prague, Budský replied: “Of course not, this would only be true on those roads in urban areas where there is insufficient lighting. It is on local roads that there are most often clashes of vehicles with pedestrians.”

 

The police also ask for an extension of the obligation

At the moment, the Ministry of Transport is not preparing an amendment that would extend the obligation of pedestrians to wear reflective elements to cities. “However, the discussion is already underway at the expert level, for example by the police,” Martin Farář, head of the BESIP department of the Ministry of Transport, confirmed to Právo.

 

If MD puts on the experts and suggests the introduction of reflective elements across the board, it will not be easy in the House. After all, in 2015, Minister of Transport Dan Ťok had missed: “When I heard some deputies that they did not want to look like clowns with a reflective vest, I could not be surprised.”

 

There are uncertainties in the current amendment

There are some uncertainties in the current legislation that would certainly deserve the changes. For example, the amendment stipulates that the pedestrian should have reflective elements in the dark or at daytime with reduced visibility when traveling outside the village along the shoulder or road edge. However, it does not address cases where a pedestrian crosses the road.

 

“Therefore, a pedestrian will not break the law if he does not have a reflective element when crossing. It must be seen,” Budský points out. The current amendment to the Road Traffic Act also lacks an implementing decree that would specify what color and minimum size a reflective element should have and where the pedestrian should wear it.

 

When a pedestrian is equipped with a correctly reflective element in poor visibility, the distance the driver can recognize is increased up to 200 meters. And that gives enough time for the driver to react in time and safely avoid the pedestrian. “But this is not the case when a pedestrian has too short a reflective belt on his clothing or turns it into a roll on a backpack strap, which is useless,” Brodsky said.

 

Fine up to 2000 CZK

If police find pedestrians that they do not have a reflective element when walking on a road outside the village in poor visibility, they can be fined up to 2000 crowns.

 

The reason why this obligation has been legalized in the fact that only between 2012 and 2015 a total of 523 pedestrians died and 303 of them died at night. Even more threatening is the long-term statistics, according to which from 1993 to October this year, 5770 pedestrians died on the roads, and this is a smaller town.

 

“People mistakenly think that they must have reflective materials only in the dark. However, this is not accurate, as it must be visibly labeled even at dusk, for example at dawn or after sunset. In the fog, it is advisable to have a light source with you, such as an electric flashlight,” recommends Farář.

 

School bus safety reminders for students and drivers

Just two weeks into the new school year, police say they’re getting complaints from Southwest Florida drivers about dangerous situations at school bus stops.

 

Cape Coral Police remind drivers and parents that many students are now distracted by devices in ways they didn’t experience as children. They are urging parents to please talk to their children about the importance of being aware of their surroundings.

 

Police offer these safety tips at bus stops.

 

Children:

 

Keep an eye on traffic.

Do not sit in the roadway. Drivers might not see you

Do not play running games or push and shove at the bus stop. It is dangerous near traffic.

Make sure you stand at least 10 feet from the road while waiting for the bus so you are away from traffic.

If your bus stop is on a corner of another person’s property, be courteous and never leave litter behind.

Use reflective materials. There are backpacks and clothing with reflective fabric sewn into it.

If they are going to wear headphones, only use one so they can hear traffic.

Drivers:

 

Always look for children walking to bus stops or at bus stops.

When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.

Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.

Do not text, check your email or put makeup on while driving.

Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.

Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.

Learn and obey the school bus laws as well as the “flashing signal light system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:

Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.

Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Halloween safety tips

Halloween is just around the corner and the top priority for the City of Plattsburgh is the safety of trick-or-treaters. As candy collecting on Halloween takes place in the evening when it starts to get dark, it is important to remember some key safety tips for those planning on trick-or-treating. Over the past years, the Plattsburgh Crete Center has hosted “Trick-or-Treat on Safety Street” to encourage safe trick-or-treating. Kids and families are invited to come dressed up and safely collect candy.

 

According to the event page, “Civic Center is transformed into a family-friendly environment that promotes kids of all ages to dress up and trick-or-treat in a safe and controlled atmosphere. Children will travel from house to house and collect goodies without the worries of cars, strangers, or tainted candy.”

 

SAFETY COSTUME:

 

Spookiness may often be associated with the dark, but that means it is okay to blend in with the darkness. It is unsafe to wear dark colors at night, especially in a not-so-lit area like the suburbs. Putting reflective strips or reflective materials on a costume or wearing bright reflective clothing can help a lot and need to ruin the costume. Cars will be able to spot trick-or-treaters better with the reflective headlights colors.

 

DRIVING SAFETY:

 

It is a known law to put headlights on once it gets dark, but on Halloween night, it is recommended to put car headlights on a little earlier. The use of headlights will make it easier to spot trick-or-treaters wearing bright or reflective clothing. Not only that, but it will help trick-or-treaters spot, drivers, more easily.

 

CANDY SAFETY:

 

Candy-checking is pretty wide-spread knowledge following multiple incidents in the past where razor blades and other dangers were hidden inside candies or food handed out during Halloween night. Because of these problems, candy companies started encouraging people to hand out wrapped candy rather than treats. Parents are also encouraged to then check the candy before eating it and making sure it is properly wrapped and sealed so it has been tampered with. Though this problem is not so big due to public awareness over the years, dangers such as razor blades, drugs or poison are still a possibility.

 

Being safe during the holiday doesn’t mean it dampens the fun. As long as one takes mandatory precautions, Halloween can be just as fun as it is safe.

 

6 simple tricks that will save your child’s life on the road

Perhaps the main one concerns you: remember, running across the street outside the junction, that children copy everything from their parents.

 

Child psychologists, as well as simply experienced people,  are confident that young children copy the behavior of adults. If the parents do not follow the rules of the road, then the children will not observe them either – at least until the school where the parents correct the mistakes, if lucky, the teachers.

 

When asked why a child needs to know and abide by the rules, the answer is simple: to live. And the main thing can be taught before the child begins to walk and talk. Seating the child in a child seat in the car, and fastening your seat belts, patiently explain that it is necessary for safety. You will see: in two years the baby will follow himself so that everyone in the car will be fastened, and if anyone forgets, he will definitely remind you.

 

But even better, children memorize the information submitted to them in the form of a game. Rules of the road – an inexhaustible theme for children’s poems, songs, games. And while traveling by car with a child, you can play the navigator: let him tell the driver’s dad what signs he sees and what they mean. Try only to condescendingly treat the mistakes of the little co-driver and do not delay the game. He will say that he is tired – let him rest. Then still practice.

 

Already at the age of two, a child is able to correctly name traffic lights and zebra signals, say what they are for. In three – to name many road signs and explain their meaning, at least in a primitive form.

 

If a child goes to kindergarten – try to draw a route from home to the garden with all intersections with him and offer him to “walk” together, “stopping” at traffic lights, before pedestrian crossings and reminding you first to look left, then go out on the road, even if it is green, but the car (or motorcycle) is approaching fast.

 

Watching TV is bad. But all kids love cartoons. And many modern cartoons promote the observance of traffic rules. However, not only modern. And old Soviet cartoons, which many parents themselves enjoy watching, can be turned into textbooks of correct behavior on the road. By the way, this is quite interesting. One of the best examples is “Well, wait!”. For example, the 3rd series.

 

The wolf is trying to ride a motorcycle with the headlights off and without a license plate, the Hare rides a bicycle on the road, although he is clearly less than 14 years old, and without a helmet. The wolf is trying to catch a motorcycle running away from him, standing on the center line of the road. A little later, he rides his motorcycle backward, holding the exhaust pipes, and the hare jumps under the lowering barrier at a railway crossing. And this is only the first two minutes of the cartoon!

 

Furthermore. Try to find this series on the Internet and invite your child to count together how many rules the heroes violated.

 

Even at kindergarten age, children begin to follow clothes, choose what to wear. Try to buy at least a few things with reflective materials, wear reflective vests with reflective tapes, hang flickers on a child’s backpack, scooter, run bike or bicycle, explain why they are needed. On bike rides, be sure to use the bike helmets and drive observing the rules. By the way, maybe you yourself have already forgotten them. So now it ‘s time to refresh them in memory.

Not all reflective elements are equally practical

Employees of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Kazan conducted an experiment for journalists, they showed how far in the dark a driver might notice a pedestrian. The inspectors also told which light-reflecting elements are most effective in the dark.

 

“These are cute reflective face stickers, which children and adults really like, unfortunately, quickly come off. Bracelets seem to be comfortable, but they tend to get lost. Plus, in order to designate a child on the roadway, at least 4 bracelets are needed – on each hand and on legs, so that the driver from afar can determine that a person is moving in front of him, and not some mysterious luminous object. The best thing is the reflective vest,” said Oksana Kononenko, senior inspector for the promotion of OGIBDD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Kazan.

 

The vest covers most of the child’s body and is very visible in the dark. It contains wide reflective tapes. Inspectors recommend combining reflective elements – wear a vest, along with bracelets, for example. Then the child will be very noticeable in the dark.

 

“This year, 166 road traffic accidents involving children were registered in Kazan. Unfortunately, 2 people died as a result of an accident. One of them – a 15-year-old teenager, who crossed the roadway in the dark, unfortunately, he was not marked by reflective elements. The driver did not have the opportunity to notice him in time and avoid a collision,” said Oksana Kononenko.

 

In order for children not to refuse to wear light-reflecting elements, inspectors recommend holding various games with them. For example, to convince a child that he will be the brightest and most noticeable. Manufacturers go to meet the buyer and put on the market “funny” reflective elements.

 

At the beginning of the experiment, DPS inspectors placed children with reflective stripes and adults without such stripes at a distance of 50, 100 and 150 meters. Turn on the main beam headlights of the car. An adult on 50 meters was not visible at all, which cannot be said about children.

 

Reflective materials glittered and 150 meters. The vests were clearly visible, but the child with the bracelets and stickers could not be noticed.

 

“In both cases, the vest was visibly better. Here, apparently, well, well, from afar. And if it’s just a small sticker – even it is not clear what it is,” said driver Sergey Novoseltsev.

 

“The vest is visible from afar and the person is immediately noticeable. Bracelets do not immediately catch the eye. When my children grow up, I will buy them such. In the suburban areas of the road it is very useful,” the driver Ilfat Islamov said.

 

“The experiment is timed to the ‘Safety Week’, which is held throughout Russia as part of the VI International Congress ‘Road Safety – for the Safety of Life’. And one of the key issues that experts around the world are discussing is the safety of pedestrians on the roadway. For large cities, a pedestrian hit has become a very common type of accident, especially at night. And now, when autumn has come, the early twilight, dark time in the day more. And children go to different circles, sections. And one of the most effective ways to protect children, proven in many countries, is the retro-reflective elements,” said Oksana Kononenko, senior inspector for the propaganda of OGIBDD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Kazan.

 

Results of the experiment – stickers justified themselves. Bracelets cope more or less but do not give a hundred percent picture. Best of all – a safety vest. However, the most noticeable child is the one on whose clothes there are several light-reflecting elements at once. Such a child will definitely be noticed on the road.

 

It should be noted that the wearing of reflective elements outside the settlements is mandatory for both adults and children. For their absence, DPS inspectors may issue a fine.