On October 2, the “Be Visible” social campaign initiated by the Ministry of Transport and Communication took off in Lithuania.
Rojas Marsalis, the head of the department, initiated a nationwide campaign near the Lithuanian Post Office building in the town of Vievis, where as part of the month-long campaign, local residents will be distributed to 20,000 reflections – an indispensable attribute of pedestrians of road users and cyclists. Thanks to reflective materials on an unlit road, the driver will notice the pedestrian even from a distance of up to 200 meters.
The goal of the “Be Visible” social campaign is to encourage residents to take care of their safety on the road when it is dark. On 5-31 October, intensified inspections will take place on national roads, during which road police officers will check if pedestrians and cyclists are wearing reflections.
“In the period when the dark part of the day is a major part of our lives, the number of road accidents among pedestrians increases significantly. Almost always the victim has no reflection. The Lithuanian Road Administration, in order to persuade the public to pay attention to the increased risk, calls for children and adults not to forget about reflections. It is not recommended to have flares in the dark of the day, but it is necessary. It is very important that both the youngest and their parents remind them of this duty. “said Vitiates Grays, head of the Lithuanian traffic police service.
The officer is reminded that all road users who do not comply with traffic regulations and do not have flares in the dark are punished with fines ranging from 20 to 40 Euros. In this year 81 people were punished.
“Pedestrian safety is a serious problem. In 2017, 192 people died on the roads of Lithuania. 68 of them are pedestrians, who usually have no reflections “- said Vitiates Grays.
Especially in autumn and winter, pedestrians are obliged to take care of their own visibility.
Police remind that every pedestrian who moves along the road after dusk should have a reflective element placed in a visible way for drivers. People who do not comply with the regulations endanger their lives. Pedestrian dressed in a dark outfit is seen by the driver of the vehicle at a distance of about 20 meters. Reflective elements increase the visibility to a distance of 150 meters, and the vest up to 200 m. The lower the reflector is placed, the better the car’s headlamps will illuminate it and the driver can see the pedestrian earlier. The optimum height at which the user should wear a reflector is the height of the headlamps falling on it.
Make sure that the reflective accessories that you wear are not covered, such as a scarf, bag or backpack.
Going on the left side of the road (in the opposite direction to the movement of vehicles), it is best to wear reflections on the right hand or leg (from the direction of vehicle movement). When we move in the column, we should go to the right side and wear a reflection on the left hand or leg (from the direction of vehicle movement).
When buying reflective vests, make sure that the product meets the quality standards. The most important thing is that it should be marked with the CE symbol and comply with the European Union’s security standards. Depending on the quality of the product, the reflection can perfectly fulfill its role for several years. However, every autumn you should consider whether it still provides maximum protection. You can do this by illuminating the flashlight at eye level with old and new reflections from a distance of 4 meters. If the old reflective tape reflects less light than the new one, it’s time to change it.