Autumn has come, the light day is gradually reduced, and very soon the young Tyumen will go to school and return from it in the dark. Children remain active road users. But practical clothing of dark colors in this situation becomes an additional risk factor if there are no reflective materials on it. To protect children and make them visible on the road is an important concern of the Tyumen parents.
What does the law say
The use of retro-reflective elements is mandatory in accordance with the Rules of the road of the Russian Federation. The amendment obligating pedestrians walking along country roads to wear reflectors entered into force on July 1, 2015. For pedestrians moving along city roads, this measure is a recommendation, but not superfluous.
According to the traffic police, more than 90 percent of visits to pedestrians with serious consequences occur in the dark. A driver moving even at a low speed of about 40 km / h and using low beam headlights sometimes notices a pedestrian without reflectors too late. The driver is to blame, yes: not convinced of security. But after all many accidents could be avoided if pedestrians were more visible.
Children on the roads become participants in road accidents as passengers, cyclists and, of course, pedestrians. This year, 250 traffic accidents involving children took place on the roads of the Tyumen region. Seven children died, 274 injured. For all three indicators, there is an increase compared with the previous year. Meanwhile, the light reflector on clothes is a real way to protect a child from road injuries.
Where to attach the flicker
A reflector, or as it is called – flicker, works on the principle of road signs and reflects the light of car headlights. Light, falling on the surface of flicker, is concentrated and reflected in the form of a narrow beam. When the headlights of the car snatch out even a small light reflector, the driver sees a bright light point from a distance. Therefore, the chances that a pedestrian or cyclist will be noticed to increase many times over.
For example, when driving with a high beam, a pedestrian without a flicker can be seen only from one hundred meters, while a person provided with a reflective element can be seen for 300 meters. And this is sometimes enough to save lives.
Retro-reflective elements can be very different: in the form of strips, badges, bracelets, pendants or stickers. There are no GOST standards for placing retro-reflectors, there are only recommendations. For example, in the city, it is recommended that pedestrians identify themselves with retro-reflective elements on the left and right hands, and hang one flicker per belt and behind them a backpack. It is also advised to buy white or lemon light reflectors. It is believed that these colors have the most optimal light reflectivity in the dark.
“In general, it is best to buy clothes or satchels already equipped with retro-reflective fabrics. It is a guarantee that the child will not lose the key chain and will not forget to fasten it,” says Angela, head of the traffic police traffic safety propaganda department in the Tyumen region. At the same time, the presence of retro-reflective elements does not give an advantage in movement, they remind in the traffic police. Be sure to make sure that the driver saw you and misses.
Go, buy, hang
“The law was invented good, and they didn’t say where to get these reflectors” – the most frequent remark in conversations about flickers. If this problem really exists, then we have the power to solve it.