Las Vegas couple designs upgraded safety vest for road workers, police

A Las Vegas couple is hoping to change the way construction workers dress on the job.

They invented a one-of-a-kind safety vest that could make it easier for drivers to spot road crews before it’s too late.

As the temperatures warm up, you’ve probably seen more orange cones and flashing signs, popping up on valley roads.

“We had prototypes we let constructors use them out on the road,” Megan Collins said.

Experts in the construction industry, Tom Mueller and Collins founded Solar LED Safety Products. They created a new type of vest to keep workers safe.

“It was a process of gluing and putting it on some material that we felt could create the idea that we wanted,” Collins said.

So after more than eight years, five prototypes and three patents, they settled on a final design.

“Just doing manufacturing is a whole new animal for us, so it’s been a lot of learning,” Collins said.

Their vest includes flashing lights, which can help drivers spot them faster, especially at night. Right now, the typical vest only has reflectors.

“So a regular vest requires light to hit the reflective tape and that doesn’t always happen right away,” Collins said. “So if somebody’s coming around a turn, they’re not going to see that reflective material until the light hits it.”

Their battery-operated safety vest is powered by the sun.

“It has four solar panels that recharge 16 lights that flash 60 times a minute for 48 hours,” Collins said. “They can be seen at 2800 feet at night.”

The final product is already in the hands of several valley agencies.

“LVCVA, we have some going out to the City of Las Vegas, NDOT is going to be trying out some,” Collins said.

NDOT spokesperson Tony Illia said they are always looking for ways to decrease work zone fatalities.

“They’re up roughly 2% nationwide, year by year – highway workers being killed in work zones,” he said. “They’re simply doing their jobs to provide for their families and make it home alive. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.”

Now, this Vegas couple hopes their invention will help turn those numbers around.

“If we can stop just 2%, 1%, that’s going to be good,” Mueller said. “The main thing is to take you home to your parents, your family, loved ones.”

Up next, they are working on some new styles including a shorter version, tailored for law enforcement.

“That will allow them to wear it and they can still access their belt, their gun, and everything,” Collins said. “Saving lives, that’s a passion of ours. We’re looking forward to making that awareness on the roadways.”

NDOT also wants to remind drivers speeding fines are doubled in work zones. National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 8-12.

The event is in its 20th year and is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration.

NDOT also brings out a mobile truck with what’s called an impact continuator. Illia said it’s like a movable crash zone that works like a guard rail to protect workers.

Two dozen Nevada Department of Transportation employees has been killed in the line of duty since 1948. The most recent employee that died in the line of duty was Ron Raiche Jr., who was struck and killed by an inattentive driver on March 30, 2015, while repairing roadway cracking on Interstate 80 near Battle Mountain.

The Best Safety Vest for 2019

Also called reflective vests, the best safety vests are commonly found in the police force and fire departments. You can also see them being used and worn by construction workers. However, take note that no matter what type of job you do, a high- quality safety vest contributes a lot to keep you safe in the work environment.

If you are part of the construction industry, for instance, then a reliable construction safety vest can help protect you from harm regardless of how active your job is at times. Note that pressing deadlines in this industry might cause you to become too active, making you more prone or vulnerable to accidents.

best safety vest

With the aid of a good safety or reflective vest with pockets, you can alert those around you about your presence. While wearing the safety vest alone can’t completely prevent accidents, your use of its reflective materials helps ensure that those around you will not be too careless when maneuvering or working with you around.

To ensure that you will be able to take full advantage of a high-quality and heavy-duty safety vest, make sure to choose on that adheres to the regulations and standards set by the ANSI and OSHA. The color should also be distinct or unique from other items that you can find within the workplace.

Make sure to choose a safety vest after considering your specific working environment. To find out more about safety vests, here are twelve choices that are known for their appropriateness and suitability to various work conditions that require a much-enhanced safety.

Hi-Vis Workwear ANSI Class 3 High Visibility Safety Jacket

The first option for the best high visibility rain gear that is worthwhile to invest in is the ANSI Class 3 WJ9012-2XL High Visibility Bomber Safety Jacket from New York Hi-Viz Workwear. It is a fantastic choice if you truly want to own a jacket designed to bolster your visibility and guarantee your safety.

It falls under the Class 3 type of visibility jackets and adheres to the rules and regulations set by ANSI when it comes to this protective equipment. That said, I am certain that it will not let down its users in terms of giving them protection. I am incredibly amazed at the 100 percent waterproof nature of the jacket, too.

Apart from its visible lime color, it also features reflective tape around two inches wide at the arms, back, and front portions. This further increases your level of visibility. Another amazing reason to love this waterproof reflective work jacket is its snap-off adjustable hood, which is made to be convenient to put on and adjust.

I am also very delighted with the presence of the molded adjustable cuffs in this hi-vis winter jacket with reflective material. Such cuffs feature easy-to-use hook and loop closures. I am also sure that you will be pleased to know that this jacket comes equipped with a few pockets. This will help you bring some important items with you without any hassle.

It comes with a clear ID pocket as well as a pocket intended for mobile devices, like a phablet. Furthermore, this highly protective jacket boasts of its high waterproof and breathability rating, making it great to incorporate into your safety gear collection.

Reflective Fabric: People’s outdoor security guard

Reflective fabric is generally sewn on high visibility warning clothing, with reflective effects in the night. It plays the role of a safety warning. High visibility warning clothing is widely used in all kinds of outdoor workers, in our country, many people are working outdoors. According to statistics, in 2018, there are 600 thousand fire workers, about 1 million 900 thousand police, 320 thousand cleaners, nearly 3 million coal mine workers, and so on. These professional practitioners need to configure at least two sets of high visibility warning clothing. And high visibility warning clothing’s life is short (some countries in foreign countries for one-time use), each year will produce a large number of professional high visibility warning clothing.

At present, foreign well-known sports company first used reflective fabric in clothing, shoes and hats, bags, making clothing in the beautiful, practical basis, and increase the security function. At the same time, the use of reflective materials on the clothing is the embodiment of fashion and high-end features, but also the international trend of fashion trends. For example, in NIKE, C&D, BDGYGUARD, CAMEL, ADIDAS, REEBOK, and many other well-known international brands can see the presence of reflective material, DOUBLE STAR, LINING, and other brands also appear reflective fabric.

School bus safety reminders for students and drivers

Just two weeks into the new school year, police say they’re getting complaints from Southwest Florida drivers about dangerous situations at school bus stops.

Cape Coral Police remind drivers and parents that many students are now distracted by devices in ways they didn’t experience as children. They are urging parents to please talk to their children about the importance of being aware of their surroundings.

Police offer these safety tips at bus stops.

Children:

Keep an eye on traffic.

Do not sit in the roadway. Drivers might not see you

Do not play running games or push and shove at the bus stop. It is dangerous near traffic.

Make sure you stand at least 10 feet from the road while waiting for the bus so you are away from traffic.

If your bus stop is on a corner of another person’s property, be courteous and never leave litter behind.

Use reflective materials. There are backpacks and clothing with reflective fabric sewn into it.

If they are going to wear headphones, only use one so they can hear traffic.

Drivers:

Always look for children walking to bus stops or at bus stops.

When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.

Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.

Do not text, check your email or put makeup on while driving.

Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.

Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.

Learn and obey the school bus laws as well as the “flashing signal light system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:

Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.

Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Do police need to wear high visibility reflective vests when on duty?

Everybody has heard the urban myth about the driver who escaped a speeding fine because the police officer that issued his ticket wasn’t wearing a high visibility vest for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S). So, with CarAdvice reader Trent e-mailing us with that exact question this week, we set off to investigate.

Q: Hi guys. I love the site! Keep up the great work. I’m from Victoria and a friend told me recently that police can’t issue you with traffic infringements if they are not wearing high visibility reflective vests for safety. Is this right?

A: Good question, Trent. It’s one that has been doing the rounds for some time — where the individual fought a speeding fine because the police officer wasn’t wearing a high visibility reflective vest.

To get a definitive answer, we touched base with the Victoria Police to see what the ruling is in your state.

Victoria Police senior media officer, Ben Radisich, told CarAdvice:

“Members must wear a high visibility vest when performing a role where the primary function is road policing duties or when on roads near moving vehicles. Members will not be required to wear a high visibility vest:

Wherein the assessment of the member, wearing the vest with reflective material represents a serious risk to health and safety (such as responding to an armed offender or siege situation); or if authorized by a supervisor on a specific occasion, for specific duties or planned operations.

If members assess that wearing the high visibility vest on roads represents a serious risk to health and safety they must be able to justify such a decision if required to do so.”

So there you have it, Trent. Generally speaking, police officers must wear high visibility reflective vests with reflective tapes when performing duties outside of their vehicles.

But, that doesn’t mean it’s okay to break the law and use technicalities to get around infringement notices.

Adding arrow to cyclists’ vests reduced number of crashes

Cyclists who are concerned about their safety should don a specially designed high-visibility vest with an arrow to help stay safe on the road, according to new research from UBC Okanagan.

Gordon Lovegrove, an associate professor in the engineering department, and collaborator Takuro Shoji say they were interested to see if communication was more important than visual aids when it comes to bike safety. They added an arrow to a reflective vest with reflective tape to convey a message to Drivers: move over.

Their study, published in the journal Sustainability, claims to be the first paper in the world to study the role communication aids can play to help vulnerable road users (VRUs).

Researchers gave cyclists high-visibility vests with different designs, as well as no vests, and discovered that a vest with an arrow design pointing left (which made of reflective heat transfer vinyl) was the most effective.

The study discovered that the arrow vest design reduced the number of traffic accidents between cyclists and drivers.

“Vehicles passing VRU test subjects wearing the arrow vest design showed more respect, and participants’ perceptions generally agreed,” the study reads.

Part of their research, Lovegrove says, was fuelled by an interest in examining whether the advice of “Be safe, be seen” actually helped cyclists.

He notes that bikers are recommended to have front and rear lights, reflectors and brightly-colored clothing, but it doesn’t just help.

“While overall detectability on the road is critical, evidence suggests that current conspicuity aids cannot provide safety in their current form,” And a more optimal design is needed.”

The researchers call the results “promising,” but add that they used a relatively small sample size, and additional work is required to further test their findings.

Safety vest for riders

Mandatory wearing of a reflective vest is being pushed in Baguio City in a bid to curb road crashes.

The City Council has introduced an ordinance that requires all motorcycle, e-bike, scooters and bicycle riders to wear high visibility reflective vests or jackets when traveling within the roads and streets of Baguio City from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Violators will be penalized.

The measure, authored by Councilor Elaine Sembrano and which is eyed to be passed before the year ends, seeks to prevent vehicular road crash caused by human error.

Sembrano said there is a need to enact the ordinance to protect motorists, passengers, and pedestrians.

The measure also mandates all riders or passengers who carry with them a backpack that has a reflector or a visible reflective material small enough for easy visibility.

High visibility reflective vest is personal protective equipment designed to have high visibility and reflectivity. It is worn by a rider and a passenger to make them more noticeable while traveling on the road.

Patricio Evangelista of United Metro Baguio Benguet Transport Operators and Drivers Federation raised the idea during a public consultation in October, saying high visibility vests should be more worn during inclement weather when traversing city roads.

Roberto Aquino Macagba, the founder of Brotherhood of Riders Advocating Discipline Equity Respect and Safety and governor of Cordillera Motorcycle Riders Federation Incorporated, said that even before the crafting of the ordinance, members of the group have been using vests anytime when traversing inside and Outside the summer capital.

“It started as a part of our uniform, like a banner for the group. At that time, issues for safety and visibility was not yet a concern. After a while, when the growing concerns for visibility of the rider and safety arise, I From my group were fortunate that we already have it and have been wearing it. From different safety riding seminars, we learned the true essence of wearing the vest and its importance which is, it adds visibility of the rider especially at night or even at a foggy place.” he added.

At present, the group has 1,200 members.

Asked for comment, Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) traffic management head Police Major Oliver Panabang said the measure would be a great help considering the situation in the city, which is experiencing fog.

He said high visibility vests allow drivers to notice motorcyclists traversing during zero visibility.

“We will also follow the existing ordinance of San Fernando, La Union that all motorcycle riders should wear a reflective vest while traveling and onboard of the motorcycle. As long as it is reflectorized that can be easily be seen and spotted by other motorists, ” he added.

Meanwhile, Benguet province passed this year a law on the mandatory use of reflective vests to decrease cases of road crashes involving riders and motorists.

Provincial Board Member Fernando Balaodan said all motorists must wear the reflective vest when traveling in the province especially when the visibility of the road is poor.

“Road transport injuries continue to be the leading cause of death among young and old people. The province of Benguet recognizes the need for policy action to reduce motorcycle, tricycle, bicycle accidents that resulted in physical injuries and even death,” Balaodan said.

Data from the World Health Organization in 2018 showed that motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users along with pedestrians, and they contribute more than half of all road traffic deaths.

Francis Almora, Land Transportation Office-Cordillera director, said the agency will support anything that would help secure the motorists.

Almora said that even before the creation of the proposed measure, riders would wear high visibility vests with the logo of the motorcycle club(which made of reflective heat transfer vinyl).

“It would enhance the visibility of the rider. This will give ample warning time for other motorists to react in case the rider would slip, when the road is slippery and that would give ample time for other motorists to react safely, it is really useful, “Almora said.

Why motorcycle riders shun high-visibility clothing

Motorcycle riders are greatly overrepresented in the U.S. traffic deaths, with more than 5,000 killed each year.

The Governors Highway Safety Association says frequently when cars and motorcycles are involved in a crash, car drivers said they didn’t even see the motorcycle.

The safety group says wearing high-visibility clothing with reflective material could help prevent some of those types of crashes – but its new study finds many reasons why motorcycle riders don’t.

Spokeswoman Kara Macek says many who participated in the study dislike the neon colors used in most high visibility or reflective clothing. Clothing is often not seen as “cool,” and study participants had some derogatory names for those who wear it, such as “midlife crisis riders.”

Others didn’t think the high-visibility clothing would help, believing that the noise of their motorcycles would make car drivers notice them, more than high-visibility gear.

“The few folks who did report wearing this gear said they did so because they had been involved in a motor vehicle crash,” says Macek, “or someone they knew had been involved in a motor vehicle crash.”

Macek says states can use the study to educate motorcycle riders about the importance of wearing reflective or high visibility clothing with reflective tape.

And she says companies should make the clothing more appealing to motorcyclists.

Operation Dark Nights are not what you might think!

Mark Murphy suggests we use the extra hour in bed to check our cars – why don’t we do that these days?

Don’t forget the clocks change tonight, spring forward and fall back, so if I’m correct that means we get an extra hour in bed!

If you work odd hours like me you’ll know how precious that extra hour is.

It also means the nights will pull in now, as the winter darkness descends, it’s time to hunker down a bit or as the Scandinavians say Hygge.

If you haven’t come across the word, it’s Norwegian and Danish for a mood of coziness, comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.

That means in my case snuggling down in front of the telly with the fire on and a cheeky glass of red.

It’s also sadly the time of year that accidents increase on our roads and this week Suffolk police launched Operation Dark Nights to do something about it.

Apart from sounding like the title of a Batman movie, it’s designed to make us motorists get our cars ready for winter.

They are particularly keen to make sure ALL our lights are working and it can’t come soon enough. Callers to my BBC Radio Suffolk breakfast show were in full support of the campaign.

No doubt changing a bulb in your car is not as easy as it used to be but it’s not that hard.

Judging by the number of vehicles I see every day you’d think it was impossible.

It’s not like we don’t know they’re out, many vehicles now have warning lights on the dashboard and even if they don’t it’s easy to spot.

Lots of my callers were saying that these cars with a headlamp not working looks like a motorbike and it can’t be easy for drivers to see the road ahead with one out either.

My colleague Luke Deal spent an hour standing by the St Matthews Street roundabout in Ipswich counting the vehicles with lights out.

In one hour between 7.15 am and 8.15 am when it was still dark he spotted 27 vehicles with no lights on, 6 with a front or rear light not working, 10 with front lights only on and 8 cyclists with no lights or reflective clothing.

So if that’s anything to go by I think the police have got a lot of people to catch and have a word with.

The police will also be stopping vehicles and checking tires and if you have a defective one it’ll be points on your license.

I think these days a lot of us just jump into our vehicles and off we go. Cars are certainly more reliable than they used to be but we really should make sure they’re roadworthy.

When I was young my dad would always be checking his tire pressures and depths. The oil level and washer level would be topped up and he’d make me walk around the car to check his lights.

If he was keen he’d adjust the tappets too! He’d also throw a cement bag in the boot to give the car more grip in the snow! With a rear-wheel-drive car, it’s something I still do.

We also needed to be checking our anti-freeze levels as the winter sets in and making sure we got the basics in our boot like a torch, warning triangle, and reflective jacket with high light reflective tape.

Now it seems like a lot of us don’t even know how to lift the bonnet and do the most minor of things.

The police can’t be everywhere and frankly, they have more important things to deal with.

Perhaps with the extra hour, we gain from the changing clocks we could all have a look over our engines tomorrow.

Although you might think a cement bag is a bit too much!