The mandatory equipment of the car does not change with the arrival of the new Traffic Act, as it is determined by another regulation. The spare wheel does not have to have every car and a reflective vest with reflective tape is included.
The panic around the color of the reflective vest is unfounded. The new law orders it to be used.
The new regulations on the mandatory equipping of vehicles came into force three years ago and were not changed by the new Road Traffic Act. It only determines how and when to use individual equipment elements on the road. This is particularly true of the reflective vest, which must be within a comfortable and fast reach of the driver. He should get out of the car dressed if possible. Owners of vehicles with xenon lamps do not have to have spare lamps, but they must not lack other bulbs used for the exterior lighting of the car. At least one of each species. The fire extinguisher does not belong to the mandatory equipment of the car in Slovakia, but it is necessary and recommended. Many modern cars might not burn completely if the driver had a fire extinguisher in their car.
Panic with vests
The new law imposes an obligation on the driver to wear safety clothing if he/she is on a road outside the vehicle during an emergency. Failure to comply can result in a fine of up to € 60.
No penalties shall be imposed for green or yellow-green. Although the new law provides that a driver may not wear a vest that is interchangeable with safety clothing used by armed forces or armed security forces, the type and color of the reflective vest are determined by a decree of the Ministry of Transport on compulsory car equipment.
Police vests have an inscription on the back and a different fastening than the vests available on the market, so there should be no confusion. “We chose other vests for police officers, which have several reflective elements, are shorter and designed to have access, for example, to weapons,” said Eva Uhliarikova of the Ministry of the Interior. The reflective vest in the car is designed to give visibility and protection to the driver of the car, so its use will be monitored.
There is not always a reserve
The spare wheel to be used in the event of a puncture must have only cars that not equipped with a special adhesive kit or Runflat tires that allow the puncture to travel. This also applies to the jack and wheel removal tools. Tires with Runflat technology have long been used by BMW vehicles. Their owners do not have to carry the spare wheel until they have ordinary tires on their car. “We have no problem with the Slovak regulations because it is homologated by the manufacturer and we use Runflat throughout Eastern Europe,” confirmed Milan Stupka of the BMW Group. Since February, winter tires on snow and ice are mandatory. This does not apply to the spare wheel, which may not have a winter tread pattern and can be used in an emergency even on snow and ice.
The late arrival of winter, along with the new traffic law, should force drivers who have not used these winter tires to buy or not to drive after the snow. In the tire repair shops after the first of February, there was no increase in interest, even though the spring break of the Bratislava region was approaching and it is snowing in the Orava and the Tatras. “Those who want to use winter tires have bought them,” said Marin, tire service owner. Some sizes of winter tires are a problem to get because they just sold out. In that case, the alternative dimension of the technical license must be looked at.