The summer ended very quickly and there is a time of dry and gray days. The darkness is still sooner and so the amendment to Act No. 361/2000 Coll. on road traffic. It entered into force on February 20, 2016, and its goal is primarily to prevent serious and fatal accidents caused by the fact that the pedestrian was not sufficiently visible on the road. This is to ensure mandatory reflective elements, but still many pedestrians that move on unlit roads, unfortunately, ignored. Many people think that the car has lights to see the driver. And that means they see them, so nothing can happen to them.
That it is foolish to repeat every autumn all the media. But it’s still not enough. This is also proved by one very sad figure. In the first six months of this year alone, 233 people died on our roads. Autumn and winter are also likely to be signed on this issue in very bold and sad letters. What with this?
See and be seen
Remember that it is very important not only to see but to be seen! A driver who meets pedestrians in dark clothes in the dark has only about 18 meters to respond adequately. Put into practice, this means that at a speed of 70 km / h, which is 20 km / h slower than the maximum permitted speed outside the village, the driver has no responsibility for such a second. And during this time, pedestrians must notice and respond accordingly. Is it even possible? And what happens if a pedestrian has at least some reflective material? The driver is then able to register it at a distance of 200 meters and has enough time to react.
If you are wondering what a proper reflective element should look like, then it is difficult to advise on this. The law does not specify this in any way, and in our opinion, any reflective element is better than none. Of course, the ideal is a reflective vest, but we understand that you probably will not normally carry it. But it also works well with reflective straps that fit into every pocket and are available almost anywhere. You can “decorate” your children with iron-on reflective images(which made of reflective heat transfer vinyl) featuring their favorite characters. Remember that when you walk on a dark pavement without a sidewalk, always keep the reflective element on your hand or leg facing the road. The driver can thus see moving reflections from the lights better.
We have already seen on our roads that some pedestrians take a mobile phone with the flashlight on, using it instead of reflective elements. This may seem like a good idea, but the cell phone or flashlight itself cannot reflect the light coming from the headlight of the car but may disappear (as a weaker light source). Moreover, these elements are not visible from all sides.
Are you wondering if you are in danger of not using reflective elements? First of all, you are at least at risk of serious injury or, in the worst case, death. These are the most important reasons why to buy and use reflective tape for CZK 25 at least. If you happen to be caught by police officers, you will face a fine of up to CZK 2,000 in the block and CZK 1,500 to 2,500 in administrative proceedings.