I am aware that I throw stones in glass houses, but why cannot more pedestrians and cyclists using reflective vest ? It’s a cheap life insurance.
Rain, bad weather and darkness are a lethal combination for all road-users. Now the autumn is about to replace the winter, so it seems to be even darker and gloomier when the sun goes down. The little light is absorbed effectively by the powers of darkness. Therefore, it is especially important to ensure that it is visible.
In a short drive, which was only a few kilometers long, in the central city last week occurred some incidents that could have ended badly. The first came at a crosswalk. A woman in dark clothes, drivers can’t see clearly when she standing on the roadside. She looked obviously our car, thought well that we saw her in the least bad light from the streetlights, and stepped right out.
I saw the woman, and there was never any danger. But if I run any faster or if she had more urgent it could have gone badly.
Three crossings away was the next incident. A child with a bike would go across the street, but just looked at us as we approached the crosswalk. I stayed; of course, the child began to walk but did not bill that came from the other side. The driver of the car did not at first see the baby; I had a horrible feeling in the body but at the last moment slowed the car. The boy or girl never saw the other car but walked blithely on.
Had the baby reflexes? No!
As I sat in the car, I thought of a story I did for the next ten years ago. Hansson, who was adviser to the NTF for several years, he demonstrated with a simple example of the big difference between using reflective accessory or not.
He had dark clothes and stood 75 meters from the car in a parking lot in although the lighting was the glimpse was Hansson only as a vague shadow. We turned off the lights and when we lit it again, Putte had taken on a reflective vest and seemed just fine.
Image-wise, it was simple and good. Nothing revolutionary, with a clear proof that the little fabric and reflective material can save lives.
Two comparative pictures said it all, far more than the classic 1000 words.
Imagine if more looked and thought to?
But it is not too late. All we can do better. Not least, I do.