Road safety warning issued ahead of strong winds, snow and ice

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has issued a warning to road users ahead of difficult driving conditions over the next few days.

The advice comes on foot of three weather warnings issued by Met Éireann earlier today, Wednesday, March 11.

The warnings will effect 11 counties altogether: a Status Orange wind warning for Co. Donegal; a Status Yellow snow/ice warning for Co. Donegal; and a Status Yellow wind warning for counties Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Louth, Meath, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, and Clare.

The latter of these warnings will also apply to Co. Donegal when the Status Orange warning is not in effect.

Motorists traveling in these counties at the affected times are being advised to check the local traffic and weather conditions in the area before setting out on a journey.

For motorists driving in wet or windy conditions, the RSA gives the following advice:

Control of a vehicle may be affected by crosswinds, particularly high-sided vehicles and motorcycles;

Beware of objects blown onto the road, and expect road conditions to change quickly;

Watch out for fallen or falling debris, and vehicles veering across the road;

Drivers should allow extra space between themselves and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and motorcyclists, as they may be blown off-course;

Drivers need to slow-down in wet weather conditions, especially on high-speed roads such as dual carriageways and motorways, where there is an increased danger of aquaplaning;

Choose another route if the road ahead is flooded – do not drive through a flood. Floods could be deeper than they appear, and trees and branches in the water may not be visible;

Drivers should always follow recommended routes and obey signs closing roads to traffic;

After going through water, drive slowly with your foot on the brake pedal for a short distance, which helps to dry the brakes;

Drive with dipped headlights at all times.

The RSA has also outlined advice for cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.

This includes: wearing bright clothing with reflective armbands or a belt, as visibility for drivers will be reduced; taking special care when crossing the road or cycling in high winds; walking on footpaths where possible; and keeping an eye out for falling debris, especially in urban areas.

In terms of dealing with snow and ice, drivers are advised to:

Clear windows and mirrors with a screen scraper and de-icer – not hot water as this can crack the glass;

Remove snow from your vehicle, as it can slide onto the windows during braking and restrict your view;

Slow down; use all controls delicately, and leave extra distance between yourself and the vehicle in front. Avoid oversteering, harsh braking and harsh acceleration. Use the highest gear possible. Select a low gear when traveling downhill;

Do not use the tail lights of the car in front as a guide. In heavy snow, use your fog lights, turn down the radio and let down the window slightly, so traffic can be heard;

Use dipped headlights at all times, and fog lights in heavy snow;

Watch out for vulnerable road users and allow extra space to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

Pedestrians are advised to: wear bright clothing, or ideally a high-visibility jacket or reflective armbands and belt; wear appropriate footwear; and not underestimate the danger of ice, using extreme caution when walking in icy areas.

Finally, the advice to motorcyclists for taking to the road in snowy and icy conditions is to not compromise their safety by going on a journey when they could cancel it or use alternative transport.

Motorcyclists should also: wear a high-visibility vest; ensure lights are working properly, and avoid wearing a dark visor in bad light conditions.

Also, other road users may not expect motorcyclists, which could compromise safety.

Wearing a yellow vest on a motorcycle

The high visibility vest is now mandatory for bikers. However, they must not wear it permanently. They must have it at hand and put it in case of danger.

 

Since January 1, 2016, every biker must have a “high visibility” vest. However, he does not have to wear it while driving. One year after the entry into force of this regulation, it may be useful to recall the new legal framework. Indeed, neglecting this obligation may expose the rider to a fine.

 

Always have it available

All types of motorcycles are concerned, regardless of the model and the number of wheels: 2, 3 or 4 wheels. If it is not mandatory to wear, the high visibility vest must be with you every day, stored on your motorcycle or on your scooter. If the police control you, you must be able to show it. Otherwise, you will incur a fine of 11 Euros.

 

A vest with standards

Even though we traditionally speak of a yellow reflective vest, the decree in question (# 2015-514) uses the term “high visibility” vest. Indeed, the text imposes 2 standards for the vest (EN 471 and EN 1150), but several colors. To help you verify compliance, at the time of purchase, the standard is on the garment label. The yellow vest is the most common and the name “yellow vest” has become generic. However, you can find a range of regulatory colors: red, orange-red, yellow-green, yellow-orange, green and pink. The only absolute rule regarding these colors: they must be fluorescent.

 

To note

In addition, it must be a vest and not an armband, a belt or reflective strips on the back, pants or motorcycle boots.

 

Wear it in case of danger

You can of course decide to put it on you every day. In winter, in fog, snow, rain, you will be sure to be well seen by all road users. We know, on a motorcycle, it’s absolutely essential.

 

If, on the contrary, the weather is clear and beautiful, the circulation is fluid and without apparent danger, you can leave it in your trunk or your top box. Therefore, like all other road users, it will be imperative to put it if a danger or an emergency occurs. This is the case if you have to stop on the roadside, if you are down in the middle of the road or if you have to take a few steps on the emergency stop strip to reach a terminal. Do not wear a high visibility safety vest in case of emergency stop you are liable to a fine of 135 Euros.

 

 

 

 

The sale of reflective elements has risen sharply

The public’s interest in reflective elements, which have been worn for reduced visibility since the weekend by an amendment to the Road Act, has surpassed all expectations. The protected workshop from Hradec, which produces safety accessories, recorded a 400 percent increase in orders from last Friday.

 

The company from Hradec Králové has observed the gradual increase in sales in recent weeks. In winter, this is a “cucumber season” and a sheltered workshop with seventeen employees has only a few orders per day. However, he is receives around 30 reflective merchandise daily.

 

“After the amendment to the law began to discuss radio and television, the growth was actually rocket and is still holding. People have so far neglected their security. They are hurrying now so they do not pay a fine. When asked, they admit they do not feel dangerously on the road, but they are more scared of fines and police, “says Marketing Secretary Kristina.

 

The greatest interest is for reflective tapes. Favorite tapes with Velcro fastener, but especially plastic self-adhesive tapes, which people can put on hand, foot, tube from the wheel or ear from the bag.

 

The hand strap is visible from almost every angle when moving. However, the ideal one is to have several reflective points that make the driver aware of the figure’s outline. Otherwise, it is threatening to repel the reflector, for example, with the back of the road. A black jacket and dark jeans are only visible for ten meters at night. Kristina’s reflective vests are the best choice in terms of safety. However, people do not care much about it.

 

“Many people have reservations against the high visibility vests that they look like garbage bins that do not fit their clothes. Fashion plays prime and life is overturned. The tapes are simply threaded, have a wide grip and can be easily removed and hidden in your pocket or handbag, “says the executive.

Pink reflective vest for hens

According to the manufacturer, the safety vest protect the hens not only from road traffic, but also from adverse weather, and small farm animals will remain clean, dry, and warm. Isolation is particularly suited for poultry chickens that have fewer feathers and are therefore more susceptible to ambient temperature.

 

Reflective vests for hens began to be produced on customer request.

However, the manufacturer recommends removing the clothes at night so that the hens do not overheat. Nor does it recommend its use at high outdoor temperatures.

 

Jane Haworth of the British Hen Welfare Trust, who oversees hen breeding in the UK, is of course pleased with the outfits. “They are one of the most sensible things on the market. Because they were demanding, it turns out that people are beginning to keep the hens like their lovers.” At the same time, he hopes that people will stop the hens from wearing them in knitted clothes where they can get tangled.

 

Just ten days after the start of the sale, about two hundred customers bought the high visibility vest via the Internet. Meanwhile, customers are clearly winning pinks against yellow in a 2: 1 ratio.

 

 

 

Some reflective vests on the market are not visible in the dark

Some reflective vests that are commonly sold here are not visible in the dark. Researchers from BUT in Brno found this. These are, for example, vests bought at the market. Although they have a label about the atheists, they are still not working. The obligation to wear reflective elements in the dark has pedestrians outside the village for more than a year.

 

Researchers at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication of BUT test the reflective high visibility vests directly on the field. They use a special camera with a camera to create a so-called bright map. It depicts how much the character is at night in contrast to the surroundings. “What you see here is a luminous analyzer, which is built on a digital SLR camera, which is specially adapted for this case, and the photo is analyzed by the software,” explains the head of the Jan Skoda Lighting Laboratory.

 

Two figurants went into the dark, 80 meters from the car. At such a distance, it must be seen that the driver has reacted to the pedestrian at speeds of about 90 km. The technician with the device in the car is focused, photographed and analyzed. “There is only one safety vest visible from the bright map, the other one can not be seen,” Jan Skoda said.

 

Reflective vest in car: where is it mandatory

Motorists should keep an eye on whether they have a reflective vest in the car. In many countries, it is mandatory, often under the threat of thousands of fines.

 

Most recently – since April 30 – it is mandatory to wear a reflective vest in Slovenia. Local measures are among the countries where the vest is compulsory, the most moderate. The driver must always wear it when he or she leaves a car on a motorway or expressway in an accident or breaks a car.

 

A similar situation as in Slovenia is in Belgium, Italy, Romania and this year also in Luxembourg and Hungary. Still, there are differences – The Hungarian police have no power to collect fines on the spot in cash, a fine is paid by a payment order and must be paid within 15 days. In Italy, passengers must also use the passenger jacket if they leave the vehicle in the event of an accident or breakdown.

 

Stricter conditions apply since 2005 in neighboring Austria. Outside of the village, the driver must wear the safety vest always in a situation where a warning triangle, motorways and express roads are to be built behind the vehicle every time they move out of the car. In addition, it is the duty to carry the vest. Failure to comply with these rules will theoretically amount to a penalty of up to € 5,000, in reality the fine ranges from € 14 to € 36 (about $ 350- $ 900). According to the Austrian Automobile Club ÖAMTC, the lower rate is most often levied.

 

A similar situation as in Austria is in a typical summer destination for Czech drivers – in Croatia the duty is extended except for motorists and motorcyclists, but for violation, there is no sanction at present. In the Czech Republic, according to Government Regulation 168/2002 Coll. Reflective vest is a part of mandatory service equipment. Vehicle vehicles are also subject to the obligation to wear reflective vests in Germany.

 

The European Standard EN 471 defines how the visor should look properly. If this standard matches the high visibility vest, it should be marked on the label along with other product data. Although in many countries there is no obligation to have or use reflective vests, transport experts agree that it is always better to keep it in touch with regard to their own security in case of unforeseen events.

 

The public in safety vest tried to block the hunt

Socialists in reflective vest from the organization “Silesia against the hunter” tried to block the hunt, which on Saturday morning was to take place in the forest near Gliwice. You do not have to kill animals. Why are you doing this? They asked hunters. In retaliation, hunters blocked the car of one of the volunteers and called the police.

 

On Saturday morning, hunting enthusiasts from the Hunting Association in Gliwice met near Gliwice. At the edge of the forest, a dozen or so men lit a fire and began preparations. Unexpectedly, a group of people in reflective vests appeared nearby. – We do not agree to the killing of animals. We cannot understand how in the 21st century, when people do not have to hunt to feed them, a ritual happens. There are no arguments for those who shoot animals. We want to prevent them. Therefore, we will walk through the forest on the line of fire. We have high visibility vests, so we will be clearly visible. Perhaps in this way, we will be able to protect even one wild boar or a roe – convinced Aleksandra from Bytom.

 

The community immediately caught the attention of the hunters. Are our touts? poked. Some of them, however, immediately reacted nervously. We have to call the police. They asked. We are not doing anything wrong. Everyone has the right to enter the forest. This is our common good – the social workers said. We tried to talk to the hunters, but they did not want to speak. They started the collection; one of them started playing on the hunting horn. Thanks to the destruction of fields, we lose collections – the farmer was upset, who rode a tractor with an oblong trailer in his place, probably for transporting dead animals.

 

Meanwhile, several hunters after the conference began to photograph car registrations with which volunteers came. It looks like an attempt to intimidate – they said. In response, the hunters set a “Caution hunting” sign by the path to the forest. – It means that everyone is entering the forest at his own risk now. That is, the forest is now in the possession of hunters, not walkers – says Bedeck.

 

The hunters blocked the volunteer car

Hunters did not think about giving up hunting. They got into their cars and drove into the forest along a dirt road. Volunteers in safety vest followed them. The cavalcade stopped in the middle of the forest, the hunters decided to consult once again. At one point, one of the hunters blocked Babushka’s car with his car. Then the cavalcade wanted to move on, but the social workers did not allow it. They stood across the road and demanded the unlocking of the car. There was confusion. Hunters and social workers started calling the police.

 

 

The Bakery has sponsored safety vests for students

Exactly 109 students of the Local Primary School named after the authors of Children’s Literature received as part of our campaign reflective vests, which are to improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists on the road.

 

This time the sponsor of the vests was Pinker, having in our podia and not only many commercial outlets (including the school). In the primary school, everything was perfectly prepared as usual: on the wide corridor, benches and chairs were set up, on which pupils and teachers sat. We explained to the little ones why exactly the safety vest is to be used, we asked them to give the knowledge to their parents and grandparents right away.

 

It was not without a sweet treat from the sponsor, the owner of Bakery brought with him children’s cakes. All the children received the gifts and high visibility vests; we will visit more schools soon.

The British are protesting against reflective vests

It is specifically about reflective vests modeled on police vests used by officers of motorcycles who ride motorcycles. They have a characteristic cut and a black and white checkerboard. The main difference is Polite, instead of Police.

 

Where does this opposition come from? According to the initiators of the campaign, the use of such high visibility vests means that road users perceive motorcyclists as police officers, giving the fans of two wheels unjust forums. What is interesting is the petitioners stand… motorcyclists, and some of their arguments are alive borrowed from Monty Python. Ed Elliott representing people who have problems with vests claims that they “destroy the cool image of motorcyclists.” In addition, “motorcyclists are replaced on the roads by yellow minions” and “individuals using vests pretend to be policemen, and this is not helpful or wise.” The petition is directed to not just anyone, because to Prime Minister David Cameron.

 

What is going on? We do not know very much, but it is certainly another version of the British sense of humor understandable only for British islanders. We know with confidence that vests with the word (instead of the Police) and modeled on police safety vests are quite popular among Polish bikers. Do you have a problem with that?

 

 

Traffic Police in action: failure, what to do

A commonplace failure can hide a serious investment risk. The friends of the Traffic Police in safety vest explain to us what to do if we stay in motion with the bike or the car both on the highway and on the highway.

 

Thanks to the fundamental help of the State Police and the Traffic Police Section of Cremona, directed by Deputy Chief Justice Assistant Federica Deledda, we try to clarify different behaviors that have a direct and immediate impact on the safety of our travels by car and motorbike. We boarded the police cars to respond in a simple and immediate way to many doubts and to clarify various aspects related to road traffic.

 

At this address, you will find the topics covered by the editors with the Traffic Police. Today we face a situation that a priori (and making the spells) we tend to remove from our thoughts. A trivial failure can hide a serious investment risk. The friends of the Traffic Police tell us what to do if we stay in motion with the bike or the car both on the highway and on the highway.

 

What to do in case of vehicle failure

Our car or motorbike stops on the road to a breakdown is a potential danger to ourselves and other users. As drivers, we become pedestrians on busy roads and we must immediately get away from the investment. Once this is done, it is equally important to alert other people to the presence of our stationary vehicle, which may not be clearly visible.

 

So let us recap what we have to do:

  1. Let’s get in security. In addition, we put those traveling with us safe away from the road.
  2. We give maximum visibility. We use the emergency lights and the triangle to signal our presence. We wear the high visibility vest. We also report the presence of scrap or oil on the road. Our behavior must change depending on whether we are in the city, on extra-urban roads or on the motorway.

 

In the event of a breakdown on an urban road, we turn on the emergency lights, put on the reflective vest and position the triangle at a distance of at least 50 meters from the vehicle. When we cannot move the vehicle, we wear the high visibility jacket and, paying the utmost attention to the other vehicles, take us with the passengers to a safe place. If necessary, we pass the guardrail (with the foresight to have checked before there are no sudden changes or dangers). At this point, we can call the roadside assistance indicating precisely where we are.

 

In the city, we signal the danger situation to other vehicles, placing the triangle and inviting other users to slow down. We wear the reflective vest, even if it is not mandatory (we must use it on motorways and extra-urban roads instead).