April 2020 - Page 2 of 3 - Vivianq's blog

Cyclist safety

The Seimas Energy and Sustainable Development Commission approved the draft amendment to the Law on Road Traffic Safety, which concerns the obligation of cyclists to wear a brightly colored vest reflecting light, with four members voting in favor and three abstentions.

The project’s explanatory memorandum states that the project aims to remove the unnecessary, statistically unjustified requirement for cyclists to wear a brightly colored vest with reflective tapes or to have a white light on the front and a red light on the front and red light on. to provide for this requirement when driving on the carriageway, except cycle paths, footpaths, and cycle paths and cycle lanes.

According to the authors, the draft law aims to make cycling more aesthetically and comfortably attractive – without reducing traffic safety, to abandon excessive requirements for bicycle traffic during daylight hours.

The draft will still have to be considered by the main committee before the Seimas sitting.

The Seimas will decide whether to allow cyclists to take off their reflective vests

Lithuanian cycling enthusiasts have been striving for change for some time now – they would like to ride through pedestrian crossings without getting off the bike and change the order when it is necessary to wear reflective vests or ride with the lights on. It is on the latter issue that the Seimas will decide in the autumn.

In early July, the government assessed the desire of cyclists to allow them to ride through pedestrian crossings without getting off their bikes. According to LRT.lt, then the Government decided to keep the current procedure – cyclists are not allowed to ride through pedestrian crossings without getting off the bicycles unless it is a regulated crossing or road markings indicate that the road is crossed by a bicycle path.

However, the proposal on the use of brightly colored vests and lanterns has been submitted to the Seimas for consideration.

Under current regulations, cyclists must wear brightly colored vests or ride with their lights on at all times, regardless of the time of day or where they ride – in the city or on the highway, on a bike path or the roadside.

The draft submitted to the Seimas envisages changing this procedure. It is proposed that wearing a brightly colored vest and driving with the lights on should only be mandatory during the dark hours of the day when cycling in the city or on the street, as well as on the highway and that the vests or headlights should only be worn during the day.

Will decide in the fall

A special working group headed by MP Tom Tomlin was convened in the Seimas to resolve the issue of cyclists and prepare a draft law.

He assures that the draft law seeks to find a compromise that would satisfy both cyclists and other road users, although some categorically opposed the changes.

“The Ministry of Transport was quite categorically against it, although at first, it seemed to be prone to consideration. I understand the arguments that any solution that affects road safety is debatable, but I think that a certain level of human comfort is also very important for cycling culture. They feel that there is too much flying in their lifestyle and clothing,” says T. Tomilinas.

Vidmantas Pumputis, the head of the Traffic Safety Department of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, who was interviewed on the LRT RADIO program “Morning Sounds”, has noticed that the currently valid requirements did not come about by accident.

“A few years ago, the visibility of cyclists was a very big problem, especially in cities, where many tragic events took place.

Until the city has developed infrastructure suitable for cyclists, there are no consistently designed bicycle paths (for example, in Vilnius from Justiniškės, Fabijoniškės or Šeškinė it is practically impossible to drive to the central part of the city without getting on the road), it is necessary to do everything to make the cyclist visible,” said V. Pump.

He added that cyclists are given two alternatives. This is to wear a brightly colored vest or another bright garment with reflective elements or to mount headlights on the front and back of the bike. It is these tools that help to better notice the cyclist.

The head of the Seimas working group emphasizes that in resolving this issue, efforts were made to take into account the wishes of cyclists as one of the groups of road users, as certain changes may encourage people to ride bicycles more often than cars.

“I think the problem is that we are too car-oriented. In our country, the vast majority of the population is driving. Attempts are being made to protect their comfort and safety, but cyclists are also a traffic group that cares about their safety. They just don’t want to be overworked with that worry,” says T. Tomilinas.

True, speaking about the amendment to the law prepared by a working group convened in the Seimas, T. Tomilinas states that it is still too early to decide whether the amendments will be adopted or not. This decision will finally be clear in autumn.

“As with all laws, in this case, submission, deliberation, and adoption are awaited. Members of the Seimas will register this proposal and it will be discussed in the autumn. It usually takes 2-3 months.

If the law is approved, I think it would be logical if it came into force on the first of January next year, “T. Tomilinas explains.

The Seimas will propose to allow cyclists to ride through the crossings

The Seimas has drafted a project that will allow cyclists to ride through pedestrian crossings by obliging the cyclist to stop, pass cars and ride through the crossing at pedestrian speeds without endangering pedestrians. During the preparation of the project, an analysis of accident statistics was performed, and good foreign practice was evaluated. According to surveys, almost no one is complying with the current requirement to get off the bike in front of the pedestrian crossing. The new regime is expected to even increase road safety by obliging cyclists to stop and pass cars and pedestrians and to oblige cyclists to drive 3-7 km / h at level crossings for accident prevention. The draft law will be submitted by a group of 14 members of the Seimas. This is with a different composition (wider group) than the working group formed by the Seimas. Main provider Member of the Seimas Dainius Kipnis. Also read: An experienced cyclist has evaluated his city: where is the best place to ride One problem is hindering the use of electric scooters in cities Rinktinės Street – important changes: a new pedestrian and bicycle path will be developed. The project is also based on foreign practice.

On 27 November 2018, the Research Division of the Information and Communication Department of the Seimas conducted an analytical review “Regulation of Bicycle Traffic and Safety Requirements in the Member States of the European Union”. Signatories of the Vienna Convention have studied: Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, France, Estonia, Latvia. It has been established that the legislation allows cycling through pedestrian crossings in the signatory countries of the Vienna Convention: Germany, Latvia, the United Kingdom, and Estonia. In Germany, for example, road traffic rules do not directly prohibit cyclists from crossing a pedestrian crossing. However, when crossing the carriageway, pedestrians take precedence over motorists, only pedestrians, and cyclists, if they ride, have no preference, and only gain it by getting off and cycling, then they are treated as pedestrians.

In the UK, cycling through pedestrian crossings – Zebras – is for guidance only. In Estonia, cyclists must not endanger pedestrians and choose a safe speed when crossing a pedestrian crossing. In Latvia, cyclists are also allowed to cross the carriageway through pedestrian crossings without impeding pedestrians and reducing speed. Also, Lithuania is a party to the Vienna Convention, so the national legislation adopted by Lithuania cannot contradict it. However, the Vienna Convention does not define cycling at pedestrian crossings at all, leaving it to each signatory to decide what regulation it wants. A petition was submitted to the Seimas, which was approved. It consisted of two parts: the first part proposed the abolition of mandatory reflective vests/lights for cyclists during the day, and the second part proposed changes to the rules for driving through pedestrian crossings. To prepare the project, a survey of 18 institutions (municipalities, police commissariats, courts, prosecutors’ offices) was conducted on cyclists involved in accidents when crossing pedestrian crossings. Her findings: although 90% of cyclists cross the level, according to the petition’s surveys, the accident rate is very low or non-existent. Accident data were obtained from 18 institutions: 16 of those institutions did not find any accidents for the cyclist to cross the crossings; a small accident was recorded in two institutions. For this reason, and due to the disproportionate need for human resources, several authorities have refused to obtain data on road accidents caused by these persons. The Seimas submitted a draft on vests and voted in favor of the submission.

The proposed changes to the rules read as follows: The driver of a bicycle, a motorbike can cross the carriageway on both an adjustable and an unregulated pedestrian crossing when riding a bicycle, motorbike. When approaching an unregulated pedestrian crossing, the driver of a motorcycle must: 1) stop, 2) skip vehicles driving on the carriageway, 3) start driving only when he is convinced that his actions will not force other road users to change direction and speed, 4) start pedestrians pass only convinced that it is safe. When the bicycle is approached by an adjustable pedestrian crossing, the traffic order is set by the traffic bike driver or the regulator. When driving through both an unregulated and an adjustable pedestrian crossing, the cyclist or motorbike driver must ride at a speed close to the speed of the pedestrian (3-7 km / h), give way to pedestrians, not obstruct or endanger them, leaving such a gap from the side to keep traffic safe.

The habit of saving lives, how about reflectors?

It is extremely important to stay safe on both roads and streets as it gets darker and brighter every day. A recent photo released by the Lithuanian police perfectly illustrated that even during daylight hours, a pedestrian without a reflector or other light-reflecting device can be difficult for drivers to notice. We encourage all road users to be visible, wear reflectors and share some tips.

How to choose the right reflector and light-reflecting vest?

The reflector must be made of a suitable light-reflecting fabric. There are a variety of alternatives on the market, such as bright ribbons, pendants or similar accessories, as well as low-quality reflectors that hardly reflect light, so make sure your chosen item is a reflector and reflects light properly: in the dark, aim the flashlight at the light and watch as it reflects light. The reflector must also not be less than 15 cm² and the inscriptions on it must not exceed 20%. the total area of the reflector. It is much safer and more reliable if the advertisement is under reflective film. Also, it is known that bright yellow reflectors are better visible in the presence of fog. Another quality indicator is the special code LST EN13356 on the reflector or label, which means compliance with LST EN 13356: 2002 “Accessories for non-workwear to improve visibility. Test Methods and Requirements”.

A reflective vest is an even more effective way to prevent possible accidents, especially during the dark hours of the day. Before purchasing a vest, make sure that it meets the applicable requirements: the vest must not only be bright (yellow, orange, etc.) but must also have at least two or more horizontal light-reflecting elements at the waist.

Where to mount a reflector?

Since the reflector itself does not illuminate but only reflects light, it should be mounted at the height of the vehicle headlamps, approximately at the level of the adult road. The strip reflector should be mounted on the sleeve of the garment, just above the wrist of the hand or on the right side of the calf. The road traffic regulations stipulate that the roadside must go in the direction of travel of the car, so the reflector attached to the handles of the backpack or handbag does not even reach the light of the car headlights. In this case, it is recommended to strap the reflector and allow it to swing at approximately the height of the human knees.

What do cyclists need to know?

The bicycle must be fitted with reflectors: there must be a red light reflector or lamp at the rear of the bicycle and orange light reflectors attached to the wheel spokes on both sides. When riding on the carriageway, the cyclist must wear a brightly colored vest with reflective elements or have a lit white light at the front of the bicycle and a red light at the rear. When driving on the road in the dark or poor visibility, both a brightly colored vest and lights at the front and rear of the bike are mandatory.

Why wearing reflectors should take a look at the instruction as well

There is no doubt that a reflector can protect against a traffic accident, injury, or even save a life. Nevertheless, often the light-reflecting element is hung, but it is not considered whether it is visible. This is why there are cases when it is still impossible to notice a person with a reflector in the dark.

There is more than one mistake that is made. For example, often a strip-shaped reflector is wrapped not on the arm or leg, as it should be, but on the handle of the backpack or handbag. Hanging reflectors on handbags and backpacks are also often hung in such a way that they hide, so these light-reflecting devices are not visible to car drivers. How pedestrians make mistakes There are times when people know how to hook a reflector correctly, but forget that it cannot be covered with various objects. This is especially common among students when, for example, a backpack with light-reflecting elements is covered by a sports bag without reflectors.

Danger also arises when a pedestrian walking on a country road wears a brightly colored vest with reflective elements but covers it with a backpack. It may be almost impossible for the driver of the oncoming vehicle to notice the person walking on the road, as only the edge of the vest can shine from under the backpack at best. There are cases when purchased vests, reflectors, are of poor quality and do not reflect light. Before buying such safety devices, it is suggested to make sure that they work. The easiest way is to use a flashlight to illuminate a reflector or a safety vest in a dark room, even if you are on the phone. This way it will be immediately clear if the light is reflected. If brightly colored vests that reflect light are used for a long time, are frequently washed, they will lose their properties over time. The same happens with trailed or worn reflectors that are affected by temperature changes, sunlight, precipitation. It would, therefore, be worthwhile replacing existing safety measures with new ones every few years.

Important and instructions for use It is important not only to have a reflector but also to use it properly. Pedestrians on the highway, if there is no sidewalk or footpath, must walk on the curb in front of the direction of travel. When walking on the highway on the left side of the road, the reflectors-strips should be worn on the right hand just above the wrist or the right foot below the knee. Suspended reflectors should be mounted so that they swing freely at the height of the car’s headlights. It is best to attach hanging reflectors to the outer garments on the right side. Those who want to take maximum care of their safety and visibility, in an unlit road, should wear not only reflectors, but also a vest, or carry a switched-on light, illuminate with a mobile phone flashlight. Moreover, it is advisable to wear a brightly colored vest even when you have to go on a country road during the day. After all, in autumn, when the weather conditions are constantly changing, even during daylight hours, it can be extremely unsafe.

It can also be difficult to spot a pedestrian during the day if heavy rain starts to form or thick fog forms. It is because of such threats that pedestrians should choose brighter clothing and avoid dark colors, as well as take care of a brightly colored vest. The latter will not reflect the headlights in the day as it does at night, but will certainly help to keep a pedestrian out of the environment, making it much easier for the driver to notice. The information was prepared in cooperation with the Lithuanian Road Administration under the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Abolition of the obligation for cyclists to wear brightly colored vests

On Wednesday, the government did not support the proposal of the group of Seimas members to waive the requirement for cyclists to wear a brightly colored vest with light-reflecting elements or to have a white light on the front and a red light on the rear when turning on during daylight hours. It is also proposed that in non-settlements, this requirement be limited to the carriageway, except cycle paths, footpaths, and cycle paths. The obligation to wear brightly colored vests has been introduced since 2014. July 1 On Wednesday, the government rejected a bill to amend section 17 of the Road Traffic Safety Act. The group that drafted the amendments to the law based on the petition of Marijus Kupčinskas states that the current procedure is not based on scientific information and specific data. Police officers in many counties also do not collect specific information about cyclists involved in traffic accidents with or without vests.

It is important to mention that according to the Road Traffic Regulations (KET), it is not mandatory to wear reflective vests or ride with the lights on during daylight hours when cycling or paving during the day. According to the Law on Road Traffic Safety (SEAKĮ), bicycle paths and lanes are also included in the carriageway. There is a contradiction. The cyclist must wear a brightly colored vest with reflective elements or white light at the front and a red light at the rear. The proposal is not based on any data. no objective data, research or studies. demonstrating that the existing requirements for cyclists are redundant and that the waiving of these requirements will not have a negative impact on road safety, making the proposal unacceptable from a road safety point of view.

“The measures provided by the law to improve the visibility of cyclists are inexpensive and easily accessible, and their effectiveness is based on research,” the government resolution said. It is also considered that the proposal to abandon measures to improve the visibility of cyclists during daylight hours is not in line with the vision of the European Union institutions to ensure road safety for the most vulnerable road users. Is popularization more important than security? In road and traffic safety legislation, the carriageway is considered to be an integral part of the road as a roadside, sidewalk, pedestrian and bicycle paths, etc. It is believed that it is unacceptable to increase the popularity of cycling by waiving traffic safety requirements and endangering the lives or health of road users. And the non-use of traffic safety measures during daylight hours can endanger traffic safety, affect the creation of a dangerous situation due to insufficient visibility of cyclists. The amendments are planned to be considered further in the Seimas in December.

Mandatory wearing of reflective elements?

Two hundred and a half thousand crowns may become more expensive for pedestrians in the evening on the road. If they do not have reflective elements outside the village in poor visibility, they risk a fine. The amendment seeks to reduce the number of people with cars.

Reflective clothing, belts, and bags were distributed yesterday by police officers in several places in Brno. Pedestrians and cyclists have been instructed to change the law to protect pedestrians on the road. Police will continue in preventive actions throughout the region. lupa-plus click to enlarge.

The police will focus on prevention rather than penalizing pedestrians in the first weeks of the amendment to the Road Traffic Act. “We are planning dozens of events in the region where we want to inform pedestrians about a new duty and give them items in a reflective design,” said police spokesman Pavel Svab.

The first reflective tapes, bags, and vests were distributed by police in Brno on Thursday. They stopped and informed about thirty people. “Few of them knew about the change of the law,” Swab noted. At the same time, he recommended wearing well-visible clothing accessories not only outside the towns but also in them.

Also in schools

The police action was also appreciated by Dagmar Šebelová, who received a reflective tape. “When a man in black goes on gray asphalt, he is hardly visible in the evening,” she said.

Not only police officers but also schools distribute information about the amendment in South Moravia. For example, in elementary school in Židlochovice in Brno, teachers are explaining new duties to pupils these days. “Many parents have not registered the change of the law at all,” said the director Jana Králová. She added that they had acquired visible elements for school events that would lend to pupils.

that changes the amendment to the pedestrian law

Pedestrians must wear reflective elements outside the village when walking on the shoulder or roadside in poor visibility

If they fail to comply with the law, they face a fine of up to two thousand crowns on the spot or a fine of fifteen hundred to two and a half thousand crowns in administrative proceedings

A pedestrian does not need to wear a reflective vest, it is enough to use accessories such as straps on the arm or reflective strips on clothes

The amendment to the Road Traffic Act came into effect on Saturday

The amendment requires pedestrians to use reflective elements when walking on the shoulder or the edge of a road outside the village. According to Besip, the visibility of the reflective material at night is two hundred meters, while a man wearing a blue suit is seen at approximately one-tenth of the distance. At a speed of ninety kilometers per hour, the braking distance of the car is about forty meters. “We welcome the fact that wearing reflective elements has become an obligation,” said Besip regional coordinator Pavel Cizek.

However, he said the amendment to the law is untouched. When a car collides with a pedestrian without reflective elements, it is the driver who is to blame for not adapting the speed to the road conditions. The insufficiently visible person at risk of a collision risks only a fine. “In practice, this means that I can never drive on the 90s on the county roads at night because I have to count on someone unlit on them,” Cizek said.

Tighter neighbors

An even stricter law has been in force in Slovakia since 2014. Pedestrians must wear reflective elements on the road regardless of whether they are in or outside the village. “In the beginning, people complained, but now they have no problem with it,” said Cizek.

Efforts to make pedestrians safer have so far been felt by some merchants. “Reflective elements are sold about twice as much as before,” said Yveta Eiselt, a shop assistant from the Brno workwear shop.

On the contrary, Miroslav Šalanda from the haberdashery of Znojmo did not know any change. “The sale has not gone up so far. More interest will always start in the autumn when the days are shorter,” said Šalanda.

Last year, police in the South Moravian Region recorded four hundred and thirteen pedestrian-car crashes. “Two hundred and twenty-eight of these happened in Brno,” Swab said.

Over forty percent of pedestrian-car collisions took place at pedestrian crossings. Collisions of cars with pedestrians are increasing every year.

The pedestrians were not visible and went red

An invisible pedestrian who turns red. Last week, the police focused on pedestrian safety and, as part of the inspection action, issued fines in addition to reflective elements. They eventually earned a total of 34 people.

“For example, these pedestrians entered the pedestrian crossing in front of police officers at a time when the red traffic light was on at the traffic light. Some of them tried to avoid the traffic light with red light and tried to change the road in its immediate vicinity,” said regional police spokeswoman Dagmar Sochorová, who also pointed to the dangerous phenomenon of pedestrians without elements of retro-reflective material moving in the dark or twilight. on the road between the villages.

“During the whole event, the patrols of the traffic and riot police tried to prevent pedestrians. They were alerted to the fact that they were among the most vulnerable participants in the operation,” said Sochorová. Police also reminded pedestrians of the existence of a law requiring pedestrians outside the village to have the above-mentioned reflective elements in poor visibility.

During the whole last week, police officers also checked the drivers of motor vehicles. “They checked a total of 430 and found 75 traffic offenses. The positive fact, however, is that they have not found any breath in the breath of any driver,” Sochorová pointed out. The most penalties were for not using the belt and the technical condition of the car.

Pedestrians forget about duty. It can cost a lot of money, but also life

Impaired visibility, fog, dusk, earlier dimming. Autumn conditions are especially dangerous for pedestrians. Many people forget the obligation to wear a reflective element. A mistake can cost a life. They can lose enough money because of high fines and because of the cuts in policies. How to make it visible?

Statistics confirm that many pedestrians are still dying in the dark. Unnecessary and due to their own mistakes They do not pay attention to sufficient visibility for the driver just in the dark, but also in poor visibility during the day.

A total of 113 pedestrians died in accidents last year. In the night accidents, 58 of them died, 30 of them in the village and 28 outside the village. The youngest killed pedestrian in the dark was 19, while the oldest was 84 years old.

Pedestrians died in poor daytime visibility

A further 9 pedestrians died in the day when visibility was impaired due to climatic conditions, or at dawn or dusk. With normal visibility during the day, 46 pedestrians perished, ie only 41 percent of the total casualties.

With poor visibility, the consequences for pedestrians are often fatal. “Most of the victims died at a time when visibility was reduced,” says Roman Budský from Platform Vision 0.

Pedestrian in the fog

Will pedestrians be obliged to “shine” in the village? Ministry vs. experts

Above-average dangers are the dark months of the year for pedestrians, ie November to March. With the coming cold autumn season, followed by the winter months, they should do more than ever to be visible to the driver.

When and where is a pedestrian obliged to use reflective accessories?

Always in poor visibility when moving outside the village along the side of the road or the edge of the road in a place not illuminated by public lighting. “Reduced visibility is not only in the dark but also at dawn, dusk, daytime in the rain, fog, snow… In short, when road users do not identify other vehicles, people, animals or objects on the road,” Brodsky explains.

How to make it visible?

The Road Traffic Act stipulates that a pedestrian must wear elements of retro-reflective material placed to be visible to other road users. However, it is not stated exactly how the reflective supplement should look and where it should be located.

High-quality reflective tapes

Half of the reflective tapes are useless, trade inspection found!

“As a minimum, I consider the dimensions of a high-quality reflective tape, which should be placed above the wrist or possibly above the ankle on the side facing the center of the road. However, reflective tapes must be really good. Being in vibrant color does not mean that they will be visible even in the dark. It should also be pointed out that the reflective tape wrapped in a roll and placed, for example, on the handle of a handbag or bag, does not have enough space to be visible to the driver,” says Budský.

In poor visibility, drivers most perceive pedestrians with reflective accessories located on moving parts of the body – ideally above the wrist and ankle. They respond to moving luminous spots approximately three times earlier than to the reflective pads statically placed on the fuselage.

Reflective strips can be supplemented with quality reflective pendants. “The best color of reflective accessories can be considered bright yellow with a greenish shade, or bright red, red-orange or orange,” adds Roman Budský.

Invisibility can become significantly more expensive for pedestrians

“Pedestrians who fail to comply with the new obligation face a fine of up to CZK 2,000. Also, they may have problems with the insurance company. We will investigate whether the use of reflective elements could prevent or mitigate the accident. If we find that their use would not affect the course of the accident, we will not impose any sanctions against the pedestrian. But in case of proving complicity or guilt by the pedestrian, we could reduce the amount paid,” confirms Milan Káňa from Kooperativa.

The law requires pedestrians to use reflective accessories only outside the municipality. Experts, however, strongly recommend their use in low visibility even in the village. Foreign experience shows that half of the pedestrians who died in the dark could live if they were marked with quality reflexes.

Not seen! Both drivers and police on the pedestrian are angry

Penalties are imposed on poor clothing on the road outside the inhabited areas. Being well visible in the dark is also true for horse riders. For safety, reflective clothing is also recommended in cities.

Several times a week, a laborer Milan from Teplice goes to work by car to the industrial zone near Krupka. Morning and evening. Pedestrians often pass by unlit roads between Srbice and the industrial area. “They do not have reflective elements and they are not very visible,” Milan described. According to experts, dark clothing is very dangerous especially in the current weather, when there is frequent fog.

The law speaks clearly in this regard. “On roads outside the municipality, the pedestrian is obliged to wear reflective material elements so that they are visible to other traffic participants,” said Daniel Vítek from the Teplice Police.

This is the case of the road from Teplice towards the industrial zone near Krupka. That’s why the police went there for a preventive check these days. “Two people went this way without being seen. They were fined 300 crowns,” said the policeman.

According to Josef Šejbl, who had been in charge of the Teplice traffic police for many years, a dark-skinned pedestrian is hardly visible to the driver during the daytime and offers almost no room for safe evasive maneuver. “In the gloom, the driver even needs about 200 meters for a safe maneuver after seeing a pedestrian at a speed of 75 km / h,” said a transport expert.

Safety elements outside the village must also have a person who goes to the side of the dog or riding a horse. “I ordered a month ago that all those who ride our horses in the afternoon and evening from the riding stables to the stables on the road must wear reflective vests to be visible to the drivers,” Petra Svobodova from the Sports stable Úpořina said.

During the last four weeks, several car-pedestrian clashes have occurred in Teplice. This was mainly because the man on the road did not have reflective equipment and was not visible to the driver from a sufficient distance in the dark.

The police warn of this. For example, in Masaryk Street in Teplice on the marked crossing in mid-November, a car and pedestrian clashed and the ambulance had to be transported from the place with suspicion of serious head injury to the hospital.

Last-minute brakes

There are even several crossings in the spa town, which are not visible in the evening despite the illuminated street lamps for drivers. For example, on a busy road along with the theater at the intersection with Lipová Street. “It happened to me several times that I had to apply the brake at the last minute. I just didn’t see a man there. He ran out of the park. He was wearing black trousers and a dark jacket,” said the bus driver Lukáš.

The turn of November and December is a risk period in terms of transport. A regional spokesman for the ambulance Prokop Voleník even describes him as one of the riskiest periods when he goes more into accidents. They occur in cities where the obligation to wear reflective elements is not prescribed by law. According to the police, the pedestrian must be well visible but also here.

“That is why we also appeal to those who move in municipalities, especially in poor visibility, to use reflective elements, thus reducing the risk of collision. He protects his life and health,” said Daniel Vítek from the Teplice police.