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.

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.

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.

Here’s how to provide first aid

A first-aid box is part of the must-have equipment in a car, but how many of us know what’s in there and how to use that material?

According to the latest packing ordinance, there should be 16 items of medical supplies that are sufficient to provide first aid to all those in need, says the Red Cross of Montenegro.

“In the first-aid package, you will find sterile gauze, bandages of various sizes, triangular scarves, leucoplasts … All the necessary materials that you need to provide first aid,” says Igor Jokanovic, first aid coordinator at CKCG.

However, to use this material, you need to know some basics, so this is a mandatory part of the driving test. However, very little attention is paid to this matter, we learn from high school representatives, and it mostly comes down to a set of well-established theory questions.

So here we explain the most important rules. First and foremost, when assisting the injured, you must not endanger your safety, as it also endangers the safety of other road users.

“First of all, we need to shut down the motor vehicle, secure the vehicle by activating the parking brake, put on a safety vest and put a safety triangle at a safe distance,” Jokanovic explains. “After that, we can do triage, the degree of injury ranking and evaluate what we can do there.”

A very important step to follow is to call the police, the ambulance and, if necessary, the fire department, depending on the situation. All this in Montenegro, but also in Europe, we can do by calling 112.

Then it goes to showing help. One of the most common mistakes is that the injured person is immediately pulled out of the vehicle.

“In a collision, it can injure the cervical spine, and by not examining the injured person and finding out what type of injury we are dealing with, we can cause permanent damage, disability, and even death,” says Jokanovic. If there are injuries to the cervical spine, we will determine by touching the injured person on the legs and arms and asking him if he feels the touch.

“If the injured person is unconscious and unable to answer questions, it is best to wait for immediate medical attention and possibly try to stop the bleeding on the spot.

In the Red Cross, they say that sometimes it is enough to talk to the injured while an ambulance arrives because it is better not to give help than to give it the wrong way.

Sterile gauze should be occasionally renewed

Before you rush to renew your first aid kit in your vehicle, first check its contents, as you may find all the necessary items.

For example, we looked at the contents of the box that came with the Volkswagen Passat, manufactured in 2003, at the factory, and found that it had more than necessary. The only thing that needs to be restored is sterile gauze that loses its sterility after five years. So check the shelf life of the individual components in the package.

Here are some examples of how to deal with a particular type of injury, with the help of CKCG volunteers.

1. The first example is a low-speed traffic accident where an unattached driver hits his / her head on the steering wheel and the passenger tries to assist him (top row photos). After all the above-mentioned security steps, the first visual contact you have found is nosebleeds, which is not too serious and the person is not life-threatening. Then we check for damage to the neck of the spine and only then pull the injured one out of the car. We then pull the gloves out of the PP box and place the person in the proper position. In this case, this is the so-called elbow-knee position. It is recommended to hold sterile gauze on the nose and the person should breathe on their mouth and speak as little as possible.

2. The second case. After completing all the necessary steps to secure the accident site, we found that there was an injury to the arcade with severe bleeding and a fracture of the forearm, which we nonetheless put into the background. If it is a head injury with severe bleeding, it means that the person is at risk of life, so that injury is a priority. We place the person in the so-called shock position that applies in the case of severe bleeding – lying down with arms raised and half-bent legs. To stop bleeding as quickly as possible, direct pressure is applied to the wound with sterile gauze, and fixation of the gauze with a bandage.

For bone fracture treatment, it is recommended that the person move as little as possible. We can put cold linings on the fracture site to reduce the swelling. We can also fix the fracture site after the injured person bends his arm to the threshold of pain. Then there is the connection with the triangle scarf.

Here’s what the first aid kit contains:

1. Self-adhesive elastic band (for fixing sterile gauze that is screwed to the wound)

2 First bandage sterile (bandage wrapped around sterile gauze)

3. Sterile gauze (larger gauze used to buffer major injuries)

4. Burn bandage (bandage used to bandage burns with ribbon)

5. Burn aluplast (metalized side of the aluplast is placed on the burn)

6. Calico bandage (smaller bandage)

7. Isothermal cover (used to cover the injured to protect against heat or cold)

8. Curved scissors (used to cut necessary material)

9. Sterile gauze compress (sterile gauze pieces that are screwed directly to the wound to stop bleeding while protecting against infection)

10. Antiseptic cartridge patch (intended for minor scratches and cuts)

11. Spool on the spool (used to wrap around the injured finger)

12. Triangle scarf (used for immobilization, but also sterile dressing (MVI 3416)

13. Gloves (used to protect the person helping the injured)

14. PVC bag (bag used to pack amputated body parts or evidence)

15. Packaging – box with zipper

16. Instruction manual

The police advise on traffic jams in the dark

The days are getting shorter and more and more people are moving outdoors and in traffic as the darkness sets. Then it is important to think about being visible.

“The most common mistake is overestimating your visibility and pretending to be visible,” says Camilla Samuelsson, intervention police in the Ängelholm local police area.

The reflex can be cheap insurance and Camilla Samuelsson believes in seeing more and more wearing reflective vests.

“I imagine that those who are used to being out and going at these times have different thinking. But on the whole, you are probably poor at taking on, perhaps especially in urban environments where it is illuminated and you think that the lighting helps one to be seen,” says Camilla.

Among the teenagers, Camilla is sometimes told that it is foolish to wear a reflective vest. Just as it is wasteful to use a bicycle helmet. To pop up the reflex by designing reflective jackets, for example, she thinks can be important for getting a certain target group to start using reflexes and realize risks.

“If you as a parent do not have reflex, the children do not have it either. It is also very important how we affect each other,” says Camilla.

Angelin Guy and Tuva Vidal at the handing over of reflective vests at Junibacken’s preschool.

At Junibacken’s preschool, educators believe that the influence can be made in other ways and that the children bring the behavior home to the parents. Länsförsäkringar works with sustainability and wants to help create a safe everyday life. That is why the office in Ängelholm has decided to distribute reflective vests to preschools.

“To target, the child was a choice we made, it should start on time. It is a good target group that can affect parents,” says Ingvar Johansson.

The preschool Junibacken has received reflexes, but more preschools have the opportunity to get vests. It is, first of all, says Ingvar Johansson.

“That’s really good. We are sometimes bad at using reflective vests but this is going to be a kick in the end,” says Lisa Karstorp, an educator at the Junibacken preschool.

Do you ever talk about the importance of reflexes?

“If we see that one of the children has reflections on the clothes, we point it out and talk about why it is important,” says Lisa Karstorp.

Police Camilla Samuelsson has no evidence that the number of accidents will increase in the fall. She believes that there are different risks for each season.

What to think about if you should go out and walk in the dark?

“Having reflex. If you do not want a large vest then you should set the reflections low for the motorist often have their eyes directed low. A hanging reflex can also be good, then it is something that moves and catches the attention. Don’t take for granted that the motorist sees you, even if you have reflexes, there are many unsafe drivers in traffic, so pay attention,” says Camilla.

If you go out on a bike, other regulations apply. As long as the bike is guided, the rules apply to pedestrians. But as soon as you jump up on the bike, it counts as a vehicle.

Then the traffic rules apply, such as stopping at red lights and showing the direction of travel. You should keep to the right and you must not cycle on the pavement.

Failure to meet the requirements for which lighting and reflectors a bike should be equipped with can be costly. If any of the lamps/reflectors are missing or they are out of order, it costs 500 SEK. Should it simply be that the lamp is not switched on it also costs 500 SEK? The police currently have no pronounced response to bicycle users. In the past, the Police have informed the public about the rules that apply and then go out and make an effort in reality.

Then we have been working out in the evening and actually fined. Our ambition is to release us once in the fall, then to what extent depends on the prevailing situation all around. Then checks are made more or less on occasions when we have radio cars driving outside and you discover these misbehaviors.

Life Jacket Exchange looks to get you fitted for safety before summer

If your child still needs a life jacket for the summer, sheriff’s deputies want to help out.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is holding its 9th annual Life Jacket Exchange event later this month.

Experts will be on hand to check jackets for form, fit and function. You can bring your child’s outgrown or lightly used life jacket to the event, and it’ll be exchanged for one that fits properly.

The sheriff’s office is also asking for new or gently used youth-size life jackets to be donated for the event.

“Lakes and rivers, we have so many water sports and great opportunities to get out on the water here but it’s just so important for folks to wear their life jackets when they’re out there and will use this opportunity to get the word out,” said Tim Chase, with Lane County Search and Rescue.

If you don’t have a life jacket to exchange, chase says it shouldn’t be a problem to provide your child with the right fitting jacket.

The free life jacket with reflective tape exchange event is set for June 15th and 16th at Cabela’s in Springfield.

You can donate gently-used youth-sized life-vests now until then at the Sheriff’s Office in downtown Eugene.

Lifejackets and life lessons for children

Children learning skills to use life jacket correctly children learning skills to use life jacket correctly

Thanks to a grant from Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Board, the Onehunga War Memorial Pools are now incorporating the safe use of life jackets into swimming lessons and boat safety sessions.

“Safety on the water is paramount for our communities” explains Chris Makoare Chair of Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board, the area where the Onehunga suburb is located.

“The Board is a firm supporter of programs which help improve water safety awareness. We have some great beaches in our area as well as popular boating areas, so it just makes sense for us to support lifejacket education.”

“As part of our swim school we teach kids about life jackets, we hope that they’ll never need them in a real-life situation of course, but if needed these lessons should help them to not panic,” explains Gillian Moore, Swim Instructor at Onehunga War Memorial Pools.

“We start by showing everyone how to put on their jacket correctly, with the smaller kids we tell them it should be tight like a squeezy cuddle from Mum or Dad.”

“We advise that a lifejacket with reflective tape must always be worn when on boats, paddleboards, etc.

We also show them how to signal for help and how to get into an individual huddle and a group huddle to keep warm in cold water”.

Children are taught in increasingly deep water so that they learn to rely on the lifejackets for buoyancy.  For some, a raft or boat is bought into the pools and students are provided with a scenario of falling from a boat.

“It’s great to watch kids respond as they have been taught, we know that they leave the course with skills that hopefully are with them for life”.

Pedestrian safety advocate speaks out after police give reflective armbands to seniors

Pedestrian and cycling safety advocates are speaking out after Toronto police officers handed out reflective armbands to seniors at an event aimed at raising awareness about pedestrian safety.

Officers who attended the event, which was held at Woodside Square mall in Scarborough on Saturday, offered up safety tips to pedestrians and handed out reflective armbands to elderly residents.

The move sparked an outcry from pedestrian safety advocates, including Friends and Families for Safe Streets spokesperson Jessica Spieker.

“The reason that no road safety advocate likes this approach is that all of the evidence tells us it simply won’t work,” Spieker told CP24 on Monday.

“It is a waste of money, time, energy, and other resources to be essentially trampling the Charter rights of seniors because we all have a Charter right to freedom of personal expression and that includes our clothing choices.”

Coun. Mike Layton also weighed in on the controversy at the city hall on Monday, noting that he does not think it is reasonable to expect people to wear reflective armbands to protect themselves.

“I don’t know what they do in other parts of the world and whether or not this is something that works. All I do know is I don’t think we can expect everyone to wear an armband just to try to feel safe,” he said.

But not all city councilors share Layton’s views.

Ward 6 Coun. James Pasternak took to Twitter on Monday to voice his support for reflective clothing with reflective fabric .

“Wearing high visibility clothing or reflective gear is a key part of keeping everyone safe, including pedestrians, construction workers, cyclists, police officers, and crossing guards,” he wrote in a tweet.

Spieker said that there have been no studies to suggest that wearing reflective gear is a good way to prevent pedestrian deaths.

“There is no evidence that it works. Any study that has looked at high (visibility clothing) on vulnerable road users doesn’t find much of an impact. One study found it made things worse. So we know this isn’t going to have an impact and yet were focusing on it anyway,” she said.

She said improving the design of infrastructure is the main way to reduce collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists.

“Our current road design induces drivers to speed. We have these wide, straight lines. It looks a lot like Highway 401 so people tend to drive that way… predictably blowing red lines, making inattentive turns, they strike pedestrians who have the right of way,” she said.

“We lose one vulnerable road user per week roughly… This is not a trivial issue and this is not something that we should be delaying and playing games around.”

Spieker noted that the city could improve road safety by adding things like protective barriers.

“These are not expensive. They are not difficult to do,” she said. “There is no reason to not just aggressively pursue what we know will work.”

Hi-Vis Motorcycle Gear: Yes or No?

We all agree that motorcycling is a risky business, but very few people wear hi-vis motorcycle gear on their travels. I confess I don’t, either, and frankly, I don’t plan to. But perhaps I should? In Europe, I’ve seen many more riders in hi-vis gear than in North America and South America put together. Some simply wear either hi-vis neon green or white helmets, but quite a lot go all the way wearing hi-vis riding suits or at least, hi-vis vests with reflective tapes.

What are the pros and cons of hi-vis motorcycle gear?

Visibility

This one’s painfully obvious: hi-vis gear is meant to make us more visible on the road and its traffic. According to this study, “Drivers wearing reflective or fluorescent clothing had a 37% lower risk of crash-related injury”. But it seems we might be using the wrong colors. Neon green and yellow aren’t the colors that pop the most, especially in rural environments or forested areas; if you want to stand out, hot pink, it turns out, is the way to go.

Light VS Color

The human eye detects light faster than color. This is why bright lights and triangles of amber lights might be more effective than any bright color.

Being Mistaken for Police

This is a pretty neat bonus if you’re traveling in the developing world: since you’re on a larger motorcycle than most locals, you might be mistaken for police or military if you’re clad in a hi-vis suit.

Weird Aesthetics

So if wearing bright hi-vis colors increases our chances of being seen, why do we hate wearing them so much? According to this article, it’s because we think it looks silly. Motorcycle riders, it turns out, cares about how they look (A lot!), and black remains among the most popular gear colors despite being very low-visibility.

Do you wear hi-vis motorcycle gear on your travels and why?