Autumnal dark and rainy roads characterize many an early morning in Norwegian cities.
The Norwegian Automobile Association (NAF) warns pedestrians who leave their homes without reflection, partly because the vision of many drivers is impaired with age.
As a 60-year-old, you have lost more than half of the night vision you had as a 20-year-old.
“Impaired vision in combination with autumn darkness can create dangerous traffic situations. The soft road users, pedestrians and cyclists, are particularly vulnerable. If you use reflex, the risk of being hit by 85 percent is reduced,” says NAF communications manager Camilla System.
Will make reflex natural
The basic rule in section three of the Road Traffic Act emphasizes that everyone “must be considerate and be cautious and cautious so that no danger or injury can be caused and so that other traffic is not unnecessarily hindered or disturbed”.
This provision applies to motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and others traveling in traffic. For the soft road users, it is important to make themselves visible by using reflex and light.
But according to Ryste in NAF, it is not natural for everyone to put on the reflex before going out in the dark.
“Over 90 percent use seat belts and the goal must be that just as many use reflexes. It’s important to bring this in as a natural part of going out in the dark,” says System.
Street lights provide false security
Figures from Trygg Trafikk show that four out of ten Norwegians use reflective material, and this means they are too few.
“We are better at using reflexes on country roads than in the cities, but the street lighting provides false security. There are more pedestrian accidents in the cities than on the road,” says communications adviser Christoffer Soland Steen to Dinside.
The gender differences in reflex use are minimal: 51 percent women and 49 percent men, Trygg Trafikks reports from last year. The most common reason for not using reflex is simply oblivion.
“We are much better at making sure our children use reflexes than we are using reflexes themselves. Also, reflexes are often fitted in children’s outerwear, which also helps the children use more reflexes than us adults,” Steen adds.
Steer clear of reflective spray
You get the best visibility by using a reflective vest with reflective fabric, according to NAF. If you use other types of reflectors, it should hang at knee height to capture as much light as possible from the headlights when you are out and about, and if you have reflections on both sides you will also be more visible.
That reflective vest is the best was also shown in the reflection test Dinside wrote about last year. Also, the reflex trading net and reflex umbrella came out well.