Tag: reflective fabric

Tips on Walking and Cycling Safely

Police Chief Andrew Caggiano wanted to remind residents of some safety tips for riding bicycles and walking along township roads as they get out of their homes to enjoy some fresh air and get a break from self-isolation during the COVID-19 crisis.

Bicycling:

Any person riding a bicycle on the street must use the right side of the road.

Follow the rules of the road, as if you are driving a car.

Always wear a helmet.

Wear bright, reflective clothing with reflective fabric.

Avoid wearing headphones, at least not in both ears.

Slow down at intersections.

Look drivers in the eye when a potentially dangerous situation might ensue; be sure they see you.

Be predictable, and signal your turns.

Always look behind you or in a mirror before veering/swerving left into the lane of traffic.

Do not ride on the sidewalk.

Wave your arms if you are unsure of your visibility, especially at intersections or with cars turning right, into your lane.

Ride defensively, as if every driver is on a cell phone, not paying attention, or on drugs, and never give a driver the benefit of doubt.

Pedestrians, including runners, should follow these safety tips:

Run against traffic so you can observe approaching automobiles. By facing on-coming traffic, you may be able to react quicker than if it is behind you. Utilize sidewalks when available.

Look both ways before crossing. Be sure the driver of a car acknowledges your right-of-way before crossing in front of a vehicle. Obey traffic signals.

Carry identification or write your name, phone number, and blood type on the inside sole of your running shoe. Include any medical information.

Always stay alert and aware of what’s going on around you. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.

Carry a cell phone.

Wear reflective material if you must run before dawn or after dark. Avoid running on the street when it is dark.

DON’T WEAR HEADPHONES. Use your ears to be aware of your surroundings. Your ears may help you avoid dangers your eyes may miss during the evening or early morning runs.

Have fun and be safe!

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.”

Surrey pedestrians, please stop jaywalking

It is our collective Christmas wish, here at the Now-Leader, for people to stop jaywalking.

Is it too much to ask?

We know it ’s tempting to make a dash for it sometimes. Impatience is, after all, a human condition. But if you want to keep on being a human – an alive one, anyway – please resist that urge. So much depends on it.

Members of our staff have witnessed people making a run for it across busy streets like King George Boulevard rather than using a crosswalk fewer than 50 strides away.

Of course, sometimes pedestrians are injured or killed in crosswalks. But your chances of survival are much greater using one of these than hoping traffic will stop for you as you run for it, especially during rainy nights and mornings, and especially if you are not wearing reflective clothing with reflective fabric.

A woman died on Dec. 16 after being hit by a car in Cloverdale, at the intersection of 192nd Street and 80th Avenue. Earlier that day, another woman was injured, also in Cloverdale, while crossing at the intersection of 188th Street and 56B Avenue .

The day before, a man was killed after being hit by a vehicle in the 7100-block of Scott Road. The Surrey RCMP said he ’d been crossing the street mid-intersection.

So far this year, seven pedestrians have been killed in Surrey. Not all victims, of course, had been jaywalking. However, these seven souls gone, leaving behind grieving families and friends, underlines the risk pedestrians face in Surrey and the need for drivers and pedestrians alike to be vigilant.

According to ICBC, there were 450 pedestrian-related traffic crashes in Surrey last year, 440 in 2017, 400 in 2016, 430 in 2015 and 390 in 2014.

That makes for a five-year average of 420 pedestrian crashes in Surrey annually. The five-year average for the entire Lower Mainland is 2,300.

In the years 2014 to 2018, there were 2,110 pedestrian-related crashes in Surrey and an unbelievable 11,400 in the Lower Mainland.

As a species, we have to be smarter than this.

Here’s how to see and be seen at night

The days are getting shorter, but that’s not going to stop us from stretching the riding season out for as long as we can. Some of us never stop riding through winter. Night riding opens up a whole new set of hazards, though, mainly related to seeing and being seen. Here’s how to prepare yourself to be a night rider.

Upgrade Your Lighting

Without the sun to light your way, you have to rely on whatever light your bike can throw in front of you to see where you’re going. Stock headlights range in quality from pretty good to utterly abysmal, so this is a good place to start. In the past, running more powerful halogen bulbs has been a popular solution. This draws more power from your already weak electrical system, though. Plus, your wiring harness may not be able to handle the extra power. A great solution is LED bulbs. Not only do they produce more light, but they also draw less power than your original halogen bulb. The light they produce is also a pure white rather than halogen’s yellowish tinge, which is a bit more eye-catching. Make sure you invest in a good bulb, such as the ones available from Cyclops Adventure Sports that I use.

While you’re at it, put an LED bulb in your tail light (s), too. It will last longer, and your brake light will be more visible thanks to its instant-on nature. You can upgrade your turn signals to LED as well, but this often involves some shenanigans with resistors, relays, and such to keep them flashing at the correct speed.

Add More Lighting

In addition to the lights the bike came with, you can also add more of your own. My Honda PC800’s headlight beam pattern is terrible, to the point where not even the Cyclops bulb helped improve it much. I added a pair of cheap LED driving lights from SuperBrightLEDs.com to supplement the weak headlight. Look for a “spot” beam pattern, which throws light a good distance down the road while still illuminating the sides just a bit. Pencil beams are good for high-speed highway riding. Flood beams will only light the general area right in front of you, so while they’re good to work lights, avoid them for this purpose. Whatever you get, be careful to aim them away from oncoming drivers’ eyes. You don’t want to have them swerve into you due to their target fixation on your bright lights.

Again, tail lights are worth upgrading, too, so you can be seen from behind. When I replaced my Honda Shadow’s turn signals, I tied them in with the stock tail light so that when they weren’t flashing as a turn signal they shined steadily, giving me three tail lights instead of one. I used red turn signals for this purpose since most states frown upon amber tail lights. On my PC800, I used AdMore Lighting’s kit to install LED brake, turn, and tail lights in my Givi top trunk. This puts a complete second set of lights at drivers’ eye level, making them quite difficult to ignore. I also added a brake light flasher that briefly flickers the LEDs before they shine steadily, again to get drivers’ attention. This may or may not be 100% legal, as it’s a flashing red light. I’ve never had any issues with law enforcement, however. Just to be safe, though, I unplug these lights for state inspection, since the bike’s original lighting still works fine.

Reflective Tape

You don’t have to rely on your lighting to be seen. Reflective tape lights up your bike from other people’s headlights, making you even brighter than before. Some people go nuts with white, yellow, amber, and red tape everywhere. I liked the blacked-out look of my Honda Shadow, but I added several strips of black reflective tape to my saddlebags. The black strips were invisible during the day but lit up white at night to make me much more visible.

You can get as creative as you want with this. Cut out pretty designs. Stick it anywhere you want, including your helmet or jacket. Some riding gear comes with reflective piping or reflective fabric sewn into it, which is also helpful.

Slow Down And Watch Out

We’ve covered how to see and be seen, but it’s also worth mentioning that you should change the way you ride at night. You should only ride as fast as you can see, and be able to stop within the distance your lights shine ahead of you. As tempting as an empty highway in the middle of the night can be for high-speed shenanigans, think of the deer crossing the road that you may not see until it’s too late. Another hazard is drivers who set off with only their daytime running lights on, leaving them completely unlit from behind.

As always, you have to watch out for “the other guy,” and that’s even truer at night. It’s much more likely that other people on the road have been drinking at night than during the day. If it’s particularly late, people will be tired, which can adversely affect driving ability almost as much as alcohol.

Even if you haven’t upgraded your lighting or added any reflective tape, this is one step you can take on any bike to be safer on the road. Of course, upgrading your lights lets you see farther down the road, which lets you increase your speed. Even then, though, you should slow down a bit from your daytime pace.

Pedestrians start to wear reflective elements, the government agrees

A breach of duty should be subject to a fine of up to two thousand crowns “on the spot”. But it must be reduced visibility and walking on the road without public lighting.

Pedestrians should be obliged to use at least one reflective material element on their garments if they are walking on the road without visible light in poor visibility. The government approved today a proposal of the Ministry of Transport, which is part of the amendment to the Act on Road Traffic.

A breach of duty is to be subject to a fine of up to two thousand crowns “on the spot”, such as in the so-called block proceedings. The Office in administrative proceedings could then impose a fine of CZK 1,500 to 2,500. The same sanctions are already threatening pedestrians for violating other duties, typically poor passage. The exception should be unforeseeable circumstances, such as impassable pavement and temporarily inoperative public lighting.

According to the proposal, the pedestrian is obliged to wear reflective elements placed so that they are visible to other road users. However, only when moving in poor visibility along the shoulder or on the edge of a roadway in a place where there is no street light or where the street light is off. All three conditions (reduced visibility, road, no illumination) are required at the same time.

Marketing action tip

In addition to the night, reduced visibility means, in particular, fog, heavy rain, dusk or dawn. The law does not specify the exact dimensions or location of the reflective fabric element on the pedestrian’s garment. However, it must be visible from the front and the rear, ie large enough and uncovered. According to the ministry, it is optimal to use reflective tape on the hand or foot of a pedestrian (ideally in both places) facing the road.

The Office expects that the acquisition of reflective elements will cost a pedestrian about 50 crowns, while some have and use them now. It is also possible to expect marketing events in which traders or petrol stations offer reflective elements with a discount or a free bonus. The ministry expects the municipal police to increase their expenditures by approximately 5% (due to the extension of controls). The main benefit for the state is to decrease the number of accidents and thus reduce the related costs.

Visibility rises several times

Although the number of pedestrians killed in the Czech Republic is decreasing (134 died on the roads in 2013), the Czech Republic still occupies one of the worst locations among European Union countries. The Ministry recalls that the obligation to wear reflective elements has been imposed by many other countries, including Slovakia. Reflective material is visible at night three times greater than light clothing and more than ten times greater than dark clothing.

The Ministry of Transport originally considered a stricter option – the use of reflective vests, not just elements. However, it rejected it, as well as a milder solution consisting only in another awareness campaign.

If the amendment is approved by the Government and subsequently by Parliament, it is due to come into effect from January 2016.

Attention! The braking distance in the snow is up to five times longer

The first weekend of this winter in the snow is over and there are confusion and hysteria on the roads. What is weird about it was when it was January. However, the drivers get confused in this weather, and then traffic accidents often occur. Pedestrians should also behave properly in the traffic industry.

“There should always be mutual consideration for both the driver and the pedestrian. The driver is supposed to approach the pedestrian crossing at such a speed that he can stop the vehicle and allow the pedestrian to cross the road safely, “explains Václav Irving from Besip and continues:” The driver is obliged to release the pedestrian and allow him to pass safely, but if the weather is outside and you run into the crossing, the driver is losing.”

Interestingly, children in schools adhere to these principles and, strangely, many children teach their parents and grandparents.

Furthermore, so-called eye contact is important. When the pedestrian contacted the driver and you already know the driver’s behavior, whether he is able or willing to stop. Also, a pedestrian standing at the crossing must give a signal that he is safely entering the pedestrian crossing. Of course, when he is at the transition, he has priority.

“Visibility is another very important factor in this period. It is getting dark soon and I would recommend that pedestrians walk on the roads sufficiently visible. This means that they are sufficiently visible on the roads,” he added.

When a walker walks in dark clothes, he is not visible. Everyone should not only observe the principle of seeing, but also be seen. “People complain that they don’t have the money to buy anything. But I don’t need money to see the money. An ordinary plastic bag is sufficient. In low visibility I’m in sight up to seventy meters, “he notes.

Reflective tapes are commonly available up to two hundred meters. Classically, however, just light dress or even shine a flashlight or flashlight. There are also plenty of clothes that already have reflective fabric elements.

What the drivers did not do much at the weekend is braking. At a speed of 50 km / h, it is necessary to brake about 25 meters. The stopping distance extends on wet, snowy and icy roads. On wet roads, it extends up to twice, on snow up to 5 times, and on-ice even up to 10 times, compared to braking on dry surfaces.

“Drivers think that if they have a car loaded, they will break at shorter distances. But the heavier the car, the longer the distance. With the car fully loaded, I stop on a significantly longer distance than with an unoccupied vehicle. We also point out that the passenger car has a shorter braking distance than the truck,” said Václav Irving.

Seeing and being seen in road traffic is essential!

By using reflective elements we can avoid injuries caused by traffic accidents and, above all, reduce the number of traffic accidents that occur due to poor visibility. Currently, with the coming autumn and wintertime due to bad weather, which is associated with hazy haze, especially in the morning and night hours, there is a significantly higher visibility reduction.

Seeing and being seen is the basis of road safety. Reduced visibility, where a road user does not identify vehicles, people, animals or even road objects from dusk to dawn, fog, snow or heavy rain, is the point at the time of traffic accidents with often tragic health and life consequences.

On the road, the most vulnerable are non-motorized road users, pedestrians, and cyclists. Pedestrians, in particular, should ensure that they are well visible at a sufficient distance so that vehicle drivers can avoid them in good time.

Colorful clothing with reflective fabric and reflective elements!

It is proven that if a person wearing dark clothes is on the road, the driver can detect it at a distance of 18 meters.

It is better with the yellow color of the garment, when the pedestrian is seen at a distance of 37 meters, white clothing the driver registers at 55 meters. It should be noted that even this distance is not sufficient at night to safely avoid pedestrians. For these reasons, pedestrians should always have an element on their clothing that would make them more visible. For example, fluorescent materials are available – they increase visibility in daylight and dusk, but lose their function in the dark. The most commonly used colors are bright yellow, green and orange. It is preferable to use reflective materials – they reflect light in a narrow cone to the source, up to a distance of about 200 meters. They significantly increase visibility in the dark and in reduced visibility. Reflective material is visible at night 3 times greater distance than white clothing and more than 10 times greater distance compared to dark blue clothing.

It is best to place objects made of reflective materials close to the knees, at the ends of the sleeves and the waist level. If we have only one reflective tape, it is very important to always put it on the side facing the road and not to have it somewhere under clothing but visible from all sides. Children can then get clothes that are already equipped with elements of reflective materials, as well as already equipped school bags. Reflective strips are also recommended to be placed on a bicycle, prams, wheelchair or walking stick.

Keep in mind that at 75 km / h, the driver needs at least 1.5 seconds to realize the danger and react appropriately – in that time he has traveled 31 meters. And before starting his avoidance maneuver, more than 150 meters. The driver needs approximately 200 meters for this quite simple task, which happens on the roads countlessly every day, and it is precisely this distance that a pedestrian can see only if he is wearing reflective accessories.

The law brought a novelty for cyclists

The latest changes to the Road Traffic Safety Act have also brought some novelty to cyclists, who now have to wear reflective vests, clothing or other reflective markings when riding on all roads.

Cyclists who fail to comply with the obligation to wear a reflective vest, reflective clothing or reflective driving tag may be fined HRK 300.

The provision, found in a law passed on September 27, which had just come into force, surprised cyclists’ associations because, they claimed, it was not mentioned during the public hearing.

“We agree that the visibility of cyclists on the roads is extremely important, but European and international experience has shown that the proposed measure of wearing reflective clothing decreases the attractiveness, convenience, and accessibility of using a bicycle as a local vehicle, which minimizes and counteracts the many positive effects that bicycle popularization has in the community, “the Cyclists’ Union said, warning that the stricter obligation to use reflective clothing, in this case, was not based on evidence to suggest that existing legal obligations were insufficient.

And until now, cyclists have been obliged to use bicycle lights and reflective clothing with reflective fabric or vests on public roads anyway.

Namely, the police do not collect data on the use of lights and reflective clothing, or even as data in road accident reports involving bicycles.

“Existing legal requirements for the use of lights would be far more effective measures for the night visibility of bicycle riders, but their level of use is extremely low. by that data, about half of bicycle riders in the Zagreb area do not use any lights in the evening and at night, and less than 40 percent use both statutory lights: front white and rear red, “say the Cyclists’ Union.

Reflective Fabric: People’s outdoor security guard

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

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

School bus safety reminders for students and drivers

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

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

Police offer these safety tips at bus stops.

Children:

Keep an eye on traffic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drivers:

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

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

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

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

Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.

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

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

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

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