The rules do not specify which reflective clothing should be worn on foot. – You do not have to look like a Christmas tree or put on a special vest right now. Sufficient armrests for forearms and lower thighs, which do not take up a lot of space, adapt to the shape of the body and can easily be taken with each other – says Adam Reza, President of the Polish Association of Experts for Road Accidents.
The introduction of reflective clothing is expected to help reduce the number of casualties. The police statistics show that in 2013, almost 9.5 thousand events involving pedestrians, in which 1147 people died, and about 9 thousand was injured. The year before was over 10.3 thousand. Such as accidents, in which nearly 9,700 people were injured. The number of people killed was alike. If the pedestrian is wearing a blind, the driver is able to see it at 20 or 30 meters after dark. Meanwhile, the response time to the unexpected situation is an average of 1.3 seconds. Auto moving at 50 km / h will be over 18 meters before any reaction occurs. Meanwhile, thanks to the glare, the pedestrian is visible to the driver even from a distance of 150 meters, adds President Reza.
The problem, contrary to popular belief, is not only the children who walk the roads to school. Most of the youngest are killed in the summer months – in June, July and August. But for adults, the biggest problem is the autumn and winter months, when it gets dark quickly, and the rain or snow is more difficult to see. Every year more than a hundred people are killed on the roadside, of which a dozen or so die.
– The basic principle for pedestrians is to “see and be visible”. Children or the elderly who have never been at the wheel of a car often get the impression that when the lights on their car are dazzling, it means that the driver is likely to see them, in this time, the safety reflective vest is necessary for safety. Nothing more wrong. You can compare this to the situation when we see a plane flying at 10 thousand meters. This does not mean that the pilot of this jet see us, – explains Mares from the traffic office of the Main Command of the Police.
According to Adam Reza, new regulations should translate into increased pedestrian safety. “If they are followed,” he adds. Perhaps enough motivation will threaten the mandate. For moving without glare after dark outside the built-up area will face a fine of 20 to 500 zł. Reflectors will not need to be worn if the pedestrian moves on the sidewalk or in the area of residence. Criminal liability does not, however, include children up to the age of 17 years. The officer does not write down the child’s mandate nor can he impose such a penalty on the parent, because it was not he who committed the offense.
Another issue many parents forget about is that children under the age of 7 cannot move on their own. – According to Art. 89 of the Code of Misdemeanors, who has the duty to care for or supervise minors up to the age of 7, allows him to stay on public roads or on the tracks, is subject to fine or reprehensible punishment – Kinkier explains. – In other situations we can apply, who speaks about the means of educational influence. The officer may instruct, draw attention, conduct a disciplinary conversation with the parent, teacher or school principal, and even with the child himself, “the police officer adds.
Although shades are to be obligatory from this Sunday, those who do not fulfill this obligation, so far the police will only instruct. But officials are urging us to adapt to the new law as soon as possible. – We do not treat this recipe through punishment and spending. But buying a reflective item is about 2-5 PLN. It takes a few seconds, and it can save our lives. Fortunately, clothing designers are increasingly using fluorescent materials. Let’s remember that reflective fashion is safety and comfort – argues Mark. And jokingly: – If we all got out of the drawers these reflective items that were distributed by the police or insurance companies, then our streets would be more illuminated than downtown Las Vegas.