The solution to the mystery of the police only seems to be obvious

The police from Krotoszyn published two photos and ordered to look at them carefully. At first glance, we see a child in one photograph and not a second. But isn’t he there?

The Police Headquarters in Krotoszyn has published a puzzle on its Facebook profile, which consists of finding a difference in the pictures. The post contained two photographs that depict the autumn twilight on the street in the city. There is a difference, but is it true that there is a child in one picture and no one in the other?

The combination of these photographs allows you to see what drivers see when people on the road are wearing dark clothes. Only when we look closely at the second photo do we notice the child in a gray coat against the background of a tree. In unfavorable weather conditions, e.g. during rain, a child in such clothing is almost invisible to the driver.

Reflectors are a must

The police have published these photos for educational and preventive purposes. They show how important the color of our clothing is when we are on the road. The officers also encourage to wear reflective tape elements. Thanks to them, the driver will easily notice us on the street.

According to the law, everyone who moves on the road in the undeveloped area should wear them after dark. Wearing reflectors is important in autumn and winter. Early darkness, dark mornings, fog, sleet, and rain are not favorable for pedestrian safety.

“Seeing the shining point from afar, the driver has more time to react properly. The seconds gained in this way can save the health or even the life of a pedestrian,” policemen explained in an interview with WTK. The National Police Reflective Day is celebrated in Poland from October 1, 2016. The officers then conduct actions that are aimed at encouraging others to wear reflectors and remind them that thanks to them tragedies can be avoided.

Reflective elements should be worn so that they are noticeable by both oncoming drivers and those coming from behind. You will learn more about the importance of our clothing on the road and how to wear reflective vests.

Car EDC, or what is worth carrying in a car?

Better to wear than to beg – it’s an old but still good rule that makes life easier. Of course, there is no shortage of those who claim that a smartphone, credit card, and good assistance policy is a set that should be sufficient for most emergencies that may happen on the road. Well, if you are lucky and have a lot of time, it usually is.

Unfortunately, in real life it varies – a failure can happen where the telephone is out of range and the only workshop in the area accepts cash only. Sometimes you also need to help other traffic participants or ensure your safety, and even the best card and the best policy are not enough. Here are our proposals for necessary, useful and accessories that only a few need.

Do you know what “EDC” is?

The abbreviation EDC comes from the English “Everyday Carry”, which someone deftly translated into Polish as “Cranes Daily”. Specialists in survival or the so-called preppers (people who try to always be ready for any disasters) without the right set of accessories that can be useful in a crisis, do not leave the house. Usually, the set includes dressing materials, knife, lighter, watch.

Warning safety vest and warning triangle

The warning triangle is must-have car equipment – it must be on board. The most important thing is that it has good reflections and is stable, even with strong gusts of wind. In Poland, there is no obligation to have reflective vests with reflective tapes in a passenger car, but it’s still worth it – and it’s the best one for each passenger. The cost and weight are negligible, and the importance of safety – enormous.

Paper towel and wet wipes

A roll of paper towel and a pack of wet wipes are accessories that come in handy in the car often. From wiping a steamed or dirty glass up to an ad hoc fight with stains on the upholstery – they have a lot of applications, and they do not weigh or take a lot of space and are not very expensive.

Spare wheel and wheel jack

More and more cars do not have a full-size spare wheel on board or even a narrow driveway – instead, there is a repair kit in the trunk, consisting of a sealing compound and a compressor. In the vast majority of cases, such a set in an emergency turns out to be completely useless, because in new cars with low-profile tires it is more common than, for example, to break a nail as a result of breaking the rubber as a result of driving into a hole or running too fast on the curb.

In such situations, no repair kit will help. Of course, we have cell phones and assistance at our disposal, but take it for granted that replacing the wheel by yourself is usually faster than waiting for help in a remote area on a rainy night. A wheel can be useful, and if the car does not have a large enough recess, then the drive-in can be put away in the trunk.

Work gloves

Once a pair of work gloves was a standard feature on many factory-made automotive tool kits. There is a reason! If you take into account the fact that you will have to, for example, change the wheel or start the car using the jumper cables, or do any other “dirty” work on the car, then resistant gloves will also be useful.

First aid kit

It is not mandatory to have a first-aid kit in a private car. This, however, does not mean that it is not needed – in our opinion a good first aid kit should be found in every car.

The police appeal to drivers

Every day at least a few road incidents occur on the roads in the Płońsk. This was also the case on Monday, February 24. Policemen call for more caution!

On Monday afternoon, within a few hours, three traffic incidents occurred on the roads.

“One of them, which took place after 21 on the national 7 in Kroczew, on the lane towards Gdańsk, it looked serious,” informs the spokesman of the Płońsk police, horseshoes. As initially determined by the intervening policemen, a 46-year-old resident of Elbląg, driving iveco, did not adjust the speed to the conditions on the road. His vehicle hit an Opel in front of him, which was driven by a 52-year-old resident of Raciąż. Then the Opel hit the preceding Audi, headed by a 26-year-old from the commune Czosnow. As a result of the collision of vehicles, iveco and Opel fell out of the road, and Audi after hitting the protective barriers on the left stopped in the right lane.

Fortunately, nothing happened to anyone. The perpetrator of the incident was punished by police officers.

“We appeal to drivers to drive very carefully, comply with traffic rules and avoid risky maneuvers. Many accidents and collisions could be avoided if drivers adjusted the speed to the conditions on the road,” warns the spokesperson. “Let’s remember that the speed limit allowed in a given place when it rains, snows or frosts does not always mean safe speed. It is also important to maintain appropriate spacing between vehicles because on wet roads the braking distance is significantly longer and it is easy to lose control of the vehicle. We also appeal to pedestrians to be careful not to cross the road in an unauthorized place, not to cross it or enter the pedestrian crossing directly in front of the oncoming vehicle. We also remind you to wear reflective vest elements.”

Throw the book at m-cyclists for not using bike lanes

Every day, when I drive to work from Kuala Lumpur to Shah Alam along the Federal Highway, I see motorcyclists speeding in car lanes.

They do not slow down when motorists are trying to change lanes. Instead, the motorcyclists will blare their horns or show an obscene gesture at the drivers.

Their action causes motorists to panic, especially when they have signaled their intention to change lanes.

I also notice that motorcyclists are riding on all sides of the Federal Highway. They take up the fast lane and even block motorists.

These motorcyclists have to be reprimanded and banned from the road if they don’t use the motorcycle lane.

I also noticed that they fail to wear reflective safety vests with reflective tape at night.

Most wear dark jackets without any reflective materials. There are motorcycles without rear brake lights that put motorists or lorry drivers in a difficult position since they are not visible.

I urge the authorities, especially the traffic police and Road Transport Department, to consider this matter seriously.

There is a lack of enforcement and the law governing motorcycle use on trunk roads and highways in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Motorcyclists must use motorcycle lanes provided for them along the Federal Highway.

They must ride on the left side of the road only along trunk roads. Motorcyclists should only ride on the left side of the road in highways.

They must also ensure that the rear and front lights of their machines are functioning.

They should wear reflective safety vests and failure to conform should result in them being fined RM1,000 and handed one-year imprisonment, or both.

Alternatively, ban motorcyclists or suspend their license for two years.

Volunteers Needed for Spring Litter Sweep

Volunteers across the state are needed to help clean up trash along roads from April 11-25 during the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s annual Spring Litter Sweep.

Each April and September, the department seeks volunteers from local businesses, schools, nonprofits organizations, churches, and community groups play an important role in keeping North Carolina’s roads clean.

Volunteers wanting to participate should contact their local litter management coordinator.

“Every day, more people make North Carolina their home or do business here,” said David Harris, NCDOT’s Roadside Environmental engineer in a release. “With that, comes increased litter and trash on our roads. We need others to help us keep our state beautiful and safe, and it starts with each of us doing our part.”

Volunteers wear gloves and safety vests and are given cleaning supplies such as reversible orange and blue trash bags.

Abingdon and Barter Theater is coming together to make crosswalk improvements

The town of Abingdon and the Barter Theater are coming together to make major safety improvements.

In 2019, two people were hit while crossing the crosswalk in front of the Barter. And the Barter Theater was killed just before Christmas.

“A lot of people come to our theater every day and a lot of people cross that crosswalk,” said Barter managing director, Ross Egan.

Egan said they have all come together to brainstorm ideas to fix it.

“I’m starving the town is taking action in conjunction with Barter to make sure it’s as safe as we possibly can have it,” he said.

Public Works Director John Dew said they were taking a fresh look at what they could do to improve the crosswalk.

“We’re taking a look at lighting, sidewalk visibility, sight distance and clarity from the pedestrians,” said Dew.

The town has been added reflective paint and cleared out landscaping that was blocking the view.

“We’ve always kept it at a low height, but given the two incidents we’ve decided to clear that out,” he said.

Dew said in the future they are going to add reflective tape to the signposts and possibly add more lighting.

“We’re open to listening to any ideas on how to improve it because obviously, we don’t want any other incidents as we’ve had,” he said.

Carleton Police awarded a grant for new safety equipment

The AAA Auto Club has helped provide high-visibility gear such as vests and traffic cones to the village shelves.

Throughout his law enforcement career, Officer Gene Taylor was struck by vehicles three times while directing traffic.

Although he was wearing a safety vest, Taylor, a part-time patrol officer for the Carleton Village Police Department, said older reflective equipment sometimes struggled with the darkness in rural communities.

“I was on dark roads, and all I had was a flashlight,” Taylor said. “Because of the oncoming traffic and headlights, they just want to see me. It was never serious because traffic was moving slow, but it could have been much worse.”

It was these types of preventable injuries that inspired the department to seek supplementary funds to purchase updated, high-visibility safety equipment to protect traffic officers and other first-responders while on the highways.

The department’s vision was met Friday morning at the station when the American Automobile Association (AAA) formally presented the agency with a check for nearly $ 750 to purchase much-needed traffic incident management equipment, including high-visibility vests with reflective tapes, collapsible flashing traffic cones and traffic safety wands.

As part of the annual AAA Traffic Safety Grant, the department was selected among about a half dozen other police and fire agencies throughout the state seeking new safety equipment unavailable through existing financial resources. “With the equipment having a lot of past years, this is quite an improvement,” Taylor said.

“When we started, we all had our uniforms and a flashlight to direct traffic, but people would still see you. The reflective vests, wands, and cones will help protect our first responders.”

When applying for the grant, Taylor said he and Chief Roy Johnson specifically proposed purchasing high-visibility equipment because of the darkness in both the village and throughout Ash Township.

When directing traffic, the department targets each of its officers to be equipped with high visibility safety vests and flashing traffic wand, along with bright traffic cones to alert motorists and protect other first responders in the area.

The total cost for the vests, wands, and cones came to $ 731.15, purchased in full by AAA. Now every Carleton police vehicle is equipped with at least one adjustable news and wand, as well as a tote filled with portable, collapsible traffic cones.

Any time the officers, including three full-time officers and up to eight part-timers, are on the roadways – excluding traffic stops – they may be required to wear the vests, Taylor said.

The hope, he added, is that the equipment will not only reduce but prevent injury, while also helping the department to exceed safety standards set by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

“This is exactly what we want these grants to do, as far as saving lives,” said Adrienne Woodland, AAA spokesperson.

The Traffic Safety Grant program has been providing funding for potentially life-saving equipment throughout the state since 1993, Woodland said.

Since its conception, the program has provided nearly $ 1.5 million worth of traffic safety equipment donated to agencies through Michigan.

Officials say the grant program is part of the AAA history of traffic safety advocacy efforts.

Safety Vest Decorations Change Conversations With School Bus Passengers

The “West Fairy” arrived recently at the Brewster Central School District in New York. Today, her fashion efforts are not only improving transportation department morale but also encouraging more positive interactions with students who ride the school buses.

Five years ago, the district decided for all drivers or any transportation staff members in the school bus yard to wear yellow reflective vests. Mary Smith, supervisor of transportation for the district, said the vests help staff be easily visible to motorists, especially in the early morning, late afternoon or evening.

However, vests quickly became a fashion faux pas among drivers. Smith explained that when she became a supervisor in 2017, the drivers felt more comfortable approaching her to complain about the news situation.

“I came from the driving population and moved up in my role here,” Smith explained. “So, I guess they thought I would have a sympathetic ear. They started asking, ‘Do we have to wear it?’ I certainly want to bypass safety for them, even though they felt uncomfortable wearing it.”

Smith continued, “They started asking,‘ Do we have to wear them while driving? Do we have to wear them when we go to the schools to use the restrooms? ‘Because they felt like it was a fashion faux pas. It matches their outfits, and they walk into that building with all the educators all dressed up nice, and as school bus driver Irene Farias said, they felt like a flag around the side of a highway.”

Farias was also tired of her hearing coworkers complaining about the vests and decided to do something about them. She used a fabric die-cutting machine to make items for her daughter’s wedding, and it soon became a hobby for her.

Farias said she was using the machine so much that the idea came to her to Cricut her news.

“I was listening to everyone complain about their vests, that they are ugly, they are annoying,” Farias said. “I went the opposite [way] because I am positive. I said I am going to embrace my news. I’m going to love my news and make it my own.”

Farias made decorations for her news first and the concept snowballed from there. Her coworkers started asking her to also decorate their vests. Now, Farias has a line of people waiting to be visited by “West Fairy.”

The vests range in style and decoration based on each person’s interests. She said people have asked for sports logos, Harry Potter themes, Disney characters and more.

“One of the women would rather be on the beach because she talks about the beach all the time,” Smith relayed. “Farias made me a shirt, not a news item that says, ‘I Made The Yard Great Again,’ because I’m the new supervisor. The old supervisor is gone, and morale has been lifted. Farias contributed to boosting morale.”

Farias noted that sometimes people would tell her what they want on their vests, while other times, she chooses the design based on their personalities and what they talk about.

“She’s surprised a few people with some vests. Someone retired and made a retired Superman news for them,” Smith explained. “I think a few birthdays gave her the news.”

“I decided that everybody should like their vests,” Farias said. “I’m going to have everyone who wants their vests done to put their name in, and twice a month I’m going to pick a name out and decorate their vests.”

While also boosting departmental morale, Smith said the idea is to give student riders another opportunity to interact positively with their drivers. Smith explained that students often only see the drivers as being disciplinary, and many young students think the drivers never actually leave the bus.

“Fun, but most importantly, it inspires the kids,” Smith said. “This idea kind of personalizes the drivers a little bit and invites a nice friendly conversation about ‘Hey, you like Micky Mouse.’ It makes the driverless intimidating, and the monitors as well, they wear the vests too. And a lot of the monitors have been hit with the fairy. ”

Farias said the idea is spreading, and other surrounding districts have reached out to her about decorating their vests. She said she was hoping her idea spreads even a farther, and expressed the hope that it could even be used as a safety campaign for the community.

“I want mine to say, ‘Red Means Stop,'” Smith added.

A day in the life of a crossing guard: crossing a precarious profession

Devin Way wakes up early, pulls on a fluorescent green safety jacket and grabs his stop sign – the armor of a crossing guard.

Three times a day, he stands at busy Halifax crosswalk and shuttles school children across four lanes of traffic.

The crossing guard has been yelled at, honked at, swiped by bumpers, and given the finger more times than he can count.

“I take that in what I do. But it is a precarious profession,” Way said after a recent morning shift.

“An epidemic of people being stuck in the crosswalks.”

Crossing guards are on the front lines of a protracted clash between cars and pedestrians, one that claims hundreds of victims across Atlantic Canada every year.

In 2019, Halifax Regional Police said 175 pedestrians were injured by vehicles, with four deaths. An additional 72 collisions involved vehicles and a bicycle, scooter or skateboard.

In St. John’s, there were 86 collisions in 2019 involving pedestrians, according to Service NL. So far in 2020, 14 pedestrians have been involved in collisions with vehicles in the Northeast Avalon region, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said.

The problem a police, government and community groups are trying to address.

Awareness campaigns across Atlantic Canada, like Heads Up Halifax, promote safer behavior on the roads.

A few streets in the region have been redesigned with speed bumps, raised crosswalks, narrower intersections, and reduced speed limits.

Still, vehicle-pedestrian collisions continue.

Visibility not the main factor

In Halifax, the majority occur in crosswalks with clear weather conditions and in daylight. The peak time for collisions is about 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays – when crossing guards are at their posts.

Yet even crossing guards – with their neon reflective vests, stop sign and training – get hit.

In January, a Halifax crossing guard was injured when a two-vehicle collision sent one car careening off the road, striking the guard who was standing on the side. Last year, a crossing guard was hit by a vehicle in Clayton Park while helping pedestrians cross the road.

“Getting worse,” said Glenna Casavechia, president of the Halifax crossing guard union CUPE Local 4814.

“We’ve been a crossing guard for 25 years and still amazed at how fast people go without even paying attention.”

Situated near the airport, this Caldwell Road Elementary School is in Dartmouth. She’s been yelled at, hit, and has witnessed rear-enders and cars going up on the sidewalks to avoid crashes.

Still, she keeps donning her safety news and ferrying students across the road to help them stay safe and “make a little extra money for the grandchildren.”

Casavechia said the problem is a lack of enforcement.

“They don’t enforce the rules on the drivers,” she said. “We need permanent radar signs, we need to remind people of the fines are doubled in school zones and we need a lower speed limit.”

Crossing guard pay, safety clothing allowance

Eugene Holloway, a crossing guard since 1985, helps pedestrians cross the street at the intersection of Quinpool and Connaught on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. Eugene Holloway, a crossing guard since 1985, helps pedestrians cross the street at the intersection of Quinpool and Connaught on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. – Ryan Taplin

Despite the risks crossing guards take to help kids get to school safely, many make minimum wage or slightly more.

Halifax’s 150 crossing guards earn $ 14 an hour and receive a $ 175 clothing allowance upon hire. The majority work a 3.5-hour shift, although a handful only works two hours if no lunch-hour shift.

In Charlottetown, the city’s 22 crossing guards make the minimum wage or $ 12.25 per hour, and most work three hours a day.

The city of Moncton was unable to say how much its crossing guards make. It pays an hourly rate of $ 14.25 to $ 14.75 to Neptune Security, a private contractor who oversees the municipality’s 29 crossing guards. A spokesman for Neptune said he could not divulge the pay of its employees, as it goes against the company’s policies.

In St. John’s, 16 crossing guards are paid between $ 12.59 and $ 13.96 an hour, and receive a weekly travel allowance if they travel more than 1.6 km to the school.

While most crossing guards across the region receive a piece of reflective safety news and hand-held stop sign, John’s they are also provided with a whistle and rain suit.

Contributing factors

Students cross the street to attend Birchwood Intermediate School in Charlottetown in this file photo. – Alison Jenkins

“Drivers in St. John’s are faster and wilder than they used to be,” said Roger White, a geography professor at Memorial University.

“Gotten worse over the last 20 or 30 years and still not enforcing here.”

He said sidewalks are rarely adequately cleared, forcing pedestrians to walk into the street.

Daniel Fuller, the Canada Research Chair in Population Physical Activity at Memorial University, said roads need to be safer for everyone – including drivers.

“We need to focus the conversation away from just making pedestrians safer because then we get into this pedestrian versus driver argument,” he said.

“We need policies like Vision Zero that are going to make the roads safer for everyone.”

Vision Zero aims to improve road safety to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on the road. The idea is that by making the roads safer for the most vulnerable users – like school children and the crossing guards helping them – roads will also be safer for motorists.

Fuller said changing road design, particularly at intersections, and reducing speed limits are proven ways to improve road safety.

“Every time you add 10 km to the speed, you double the risk to the person being hit,” he said. “Violated an exponential curve.”

We are not opposed to change, but the traffic police have not suggested anything to us

The Ministry of Transport is ready to hold a debate on some of the changes that the new head of traffic police Tomas Lerch would like to push through. One such change could also affect the point system. Lerch is considering compulsory reflective clothing in the dark for pedestrians or confiscation of technical certificates on-site.

According to the Ministry of Transport, however, the police have not yet submitted any proposal for changes and the Ministry has not consulted on such a thing. However, it does not oppose the proposal.

“Some recommendations of the traffic police can be debated. Possible changes in sanctions for traffic offenses must be assessed with a view to not softening the current system and loosening discipline among drivers,” said ministry spokesman Tomas Gerold.

He hinted at Lerch’s talk to MF DNES on Monday about possible adjustments to the point system. “The system today says – twice and enough. And we say three times and enough, but the driver is punished on the spot. There is no need for community discussions and obstructions that are often written,” Lerch said.

In addition to adjusting the point system, the traffic police are also burning the condition of the fleet. The road is often returned to vehicles after total accidents. “If you buy a new car today, after a year you crash and get it repaired, and the repair is not done professionally, you don’t need a technical inspection for three years and your car is not only a threat to you,” says Lerch.

According to the Ministry’s spokesman, the ministry is ready to work closely with the traffic police in this case. “If legislation is to be made on this matter, it is necessary to set the measures so that they are unambiguous for both the driver and the traffic police,” Neřold said. It would be necessary, for example, to carefully define in which cases the police may drive the car off the road after an accident and require a new technical inspection, the spokesman said.

Lerch’s proposal for mandatory reflective material features on pedestrian wear in the dark will have less chance of enforcement. In the past, the Ministry of Transport has advised the Ministry of Transport to use reflective accessories in poor visibility. It is unrealistic to impose reflective elements on them.