Tag: reflective material

At night, on an empty road, traffic police wave me. And if you do not slow down?

An unlit night track with rare foci of civilization does not cause any desire to once again slow down and even more so get out of the car. There is no choice when the law requires it.

If I caught up with a DPS car, is it worth it to overtake?

The main document for the driver is SDA. Clause 6.11 establishes that “the request to stop the vehicle is made using a loud-speaking device or with a gesture of a hand aimed at the vehicle,” and the driver must stop at the place indicated to him.” There are no restrictions on the type of road and time of day. It is understood that the patrol works to ensure traffic safety, and if it stops in case of doubtful circumstances for the driver, there is a good reason.

Clause 1.2 of the SDA describes what the traffic controller should look like when serving. The presence of uniforms and/or a distinctive sign and equipment is mandatory. Regulators include police and military vehicle inspectors, road maintenance workers, duty officers at railway crossings and ferry crossings in the exercise of their duties, authorized persons from among the employees of transport security units.

As you can see, the list is quite extensive, and some of them have all the “distinctive” features except a reflective vest. Of course, you need to act on the situation. If a road worker is persistently waving at you, and behind him, you can see an ice rink standing across the road, it is worth fulfilling his requirements. But if a dubious person waves a rod on an empty road, standing near an ordinary car, this is a completely different matter.

You can look at the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 664, in other words – the rules of the traffic police. Paragraph 62 reports that “the place, time, forms and methods of monitoring traffic by employees are determined by the head of the traffic police unit”. Paragraph 65 already explicitly states that work at night is by no means forbidden: “In the dark and conditions of limited visibility, an employee must have a luminous wand (wand with retro-reflective material elements) and retro-reflective equipment.”

Verification is inevitable: which cars are most often stopped by traffic cops

Clause 84 of the same regulation lists 14 reasons for stopping a vehicle. Again, without reservation at the place and time of day. If “there is reason to believe,” a traffic inspector can stop you anywhere. It is stipulated that the stopping place should be selected taking into account the requirements of traffic rules. But it is possible to brake cars in forbidden places if traffic safety is ensured (for example, by the flashing lights of an official car).

If you still found the traffic cops to be potentially dangerous and ignored their demands, they can only pursue you on a patrol car with a special light and sound signals turned on (paragraph 96 of the regulations). You can watch in a personal car, but you can’t chase it.

The good old recommendation to go to the nearest stationary post is now completely useless due to the almost complete absence of these same posts. Faster and more logical in this case, turn into the nearest settlement with the police department.

Finally, we recall that under article 12.25.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, failure to comply with the lawful requirement of a police officer to stop is punishable by a fine of 500-800 rubles.

Can traffic police fine for lack of a vest

“Should a reflective vest become a mandatory item in the baggage of the driver,” says DEITA.RU.

Explanations regarding vests should be started on December 12, 2017, when the government amended the traffic rules section, which regulates the duties of drivers by the new paragraph 2.3.4, which states that in the case of an emergency stop or accident in the city at night or in conditions limited visibility while on the roadway or curb, the driver must be dressed in a jacket, vest or wrap vest with stripes of retro-reflective material.

These amendments entered into force in March last year.

Thus, the mere absence of a vest in a car is not a violation and is not punishable by fines. Experts note that the reverse information that the fine still exists is artificially supported by sellers of these vests.

At the same time, close attention should be paid to the fact that a fine is provided for a driver leaving a car without a reflective vest with reflective tape, outside the city, at night or in conditions of limited visibility. In this case, indeed, such a driver will be fined 500 rubles.

But a fine of 1000 rubles is provided under the same conditions, but already in the event of an accident. If the driver responsible for the accident walks around the car without a vest, he will be fined.

In other words, it turns out that until the driver stopped at night in the forest and got out of the car without a vest, he did not violate anything. If he had to stop and he went out without a vest – then he will be fined, which will be doubled in case of an accident. So just in case, you need to have a vest in the car, but its absence is not necessary until the conditions specified above are met, it is not punishable by a fine.

Why a reflective vest cannot be stored in the trunk of a car

Last year, traffic rules were replenished with clause 2.3.4, which states that the driver is obliged “to wear a jacket in the event of a forced stop of a vehicle or accident outside of settlements at night or in conditions of limited visibility while on the roadway or curb, a vest or a wrap vest with strips of retro-reflective material that meet the requirements of GOST 12.4.281—2014.”

Drivers who leave the car without a vest after the accident are fined as much as 1000 rubles by Article 12.27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. To the same helmsmen who got out of the car to meet a need, smoke a cigarette or for any other reasons, the traffic police are more loyal. Violation of article 12.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses entails an educational conversation or material sanction, which facilitates a purse of 500 rubles.

It is curious, but not one normative legal act indicates that the driver must always carry a reflective vest with him. In other words, during the standard verification of documents, the traffic cop does not have the right to require the driver to present a cloak. However, this does not prohibit him from tricking: a traffic police officer may ask the helmsman to get out of the car, expressing a desire to inspect the car.

Yes, inspection. We all know that inspection is a voluntary procedure involving only a visual inspection of the vehicle. Most of our “colleagues” get confused in legal terms, as in those very three pines. For those who do not know: the inspector can ask the driver to leave the car only during the inspection, which requires an iron base, two witnesses and, of course, the protocol.

But back to the topic. Suppose, to the joy of a traffic cop, he came across a dunno on the highway late at night, “floating” in terms. The driver, obeying the requirement to get out of the car, carefully gets out of it. And it’s good if the driver at the last moment remembers the reflective cloak. It is doubly good if this same cloak is waiting in the wings, and not in the trunk.

Why – I think, guess for yourself. And if not, then here is the explanation: while walking from the driver’s door to the lid of the cargo compartment, the steering violates the very paragraph 2.3.4 of the SDA, which obliges him to wear the notorious vest. It turns out to be an extremely unpleasant situation – a fine of 500 rubles is written literally out of the blue.

To avoid this, carry a reflective cloak in the cabin. Anyway – do not forget about it. And the point here is not so much in sanctions as in elementary security…

Do you care about visibility on the road?

Everyone knows how important children’s safety is on the road. It is good, however, if this awareness translates into real action and real accident prevention. A nationwide initiative comes out Kramp – one of the largest suppliers of spare parts and accessories for the agricultural industry in Europe and at the same time the owner of the Grene chain of stores, based in Modła Królewska near Konin.

“The company decided to supply all kindergartens in our city and the surrounding area (25 facilities) with reflective vests. It is very important for parents to take care of their kids’ safety on the road, especially in autumn, when the weather conditions make the visibility of pedestrians much weaker when returning from school. The simple matter of wearing vests for children provides them with greater safety and thus reduces the risk of an accident.” says Monika Leksowska, Marketing Manager at Kramp Polska.

Education of children promises for the future from an early age. We must focus on shaping the right behavior when moving in traffic, regardless of whether we are pedestrians, cyclists or passengers. We follow the same principle – let’s take care of mutual security. Not without reason, however, most attention is focused on people moving on foot. Our country’s statistics show that 50% of pedestrians – road accident participants lose their lives. This is terrifying information that should motivate us to act on how to prevent it and reduce this number.

“It is impossible to visit all the kindergartens in the region or country, although we would love to. We went to one of the Konin branches, where we talked with children and asked if they knew how to stay safe. Fortunately, preschoolers have shown great awareness of the need to wear glare. We didn’t expect that. They surprised us very positively.” sums up Monika Leksowska.

Representatives of the Kramp company visited the Bajka Kindergarten No. 25 in Konin on November 4, giving children specially prepared yellow safety vests with reflective tape. In parallel with the vest-giving campaign, Kramp also campaigns for its clients. The company sends children’s reflective vests to 500 customers in regions where the risk of children being hit is highest according to the National Road Safety Council. The whole enterprise “Kramp cares for your safety” began in October, when in Grene stores in Poland, every customer received a reflective band with reflective material.

Small things can save lives. Education begins with the simplest safety rules. Children, as it turns out, know this best. Let’s not be worse in this respect. Let’s not be shy and put on our vests.

Reflectors can save our lives

The autumn weather means that it gets dark faster, which, combined with adverse weather conditions, makes pedestrians less visible to drivers. Everyone who moves along the road at dawn or dusk should have reflective elements on them. Visible on the road, properly lit should also be cyclists and mopeds.

It is not without reason that pedestrians are called unprotected road users. Their chances of colliding with a vehicle are small. Sometimes it’s enough to take care of your safety – walking on the sidewalks or the right side of the road, going to designated areas, or not getting on the road from behind parked vehicles. Especially now in the autumn, when darkness falls faster and faster, and road conditions are often difficult, reflectors play a very important role for our safety.

Pedestrians who travel along the road without glare, both after dusk and in the morning, are hardly visible to the driver. The driver can notice the pedestrian-only from a distance of about 40 meters, but during rainfall or fog, this distance is even smaller. If a person has reflective elements with them, the driver can see them from a distance of up to 150 meters. It is also important that pedestrians avoid dark clothes because they are virtually invisible to drivers. Even the smallest reflective material, such as a key lanyard or pendant, will make us more visible.

Police officers remind that from August 31, 2014 pedestrians who move along the road at dusk outside the built-up area are required to wear reflective elements in a way visible to other road users. Persons who do not comply with this provision must face legal consequences.

Not only pedestrians must remember to be visible on the road – the same applies to cyclists and mopeds. Each bike should be equipped with lighting – one white position light at the front, one red at the back and a red non-triangle reflective light. Additional protection, though traffic regulations do not impose an obligation on cyclists to use protective helmets or reflective vests, it is worth using them. By putting on a helmet, we protect our head against serious injuries, and the reflective vest makes us visible to other drivers from a greater distance.

Policemen also call on drivers to remember to limit speed and slow down in the areas of pedestrian crossings and schools and be careful in unlit places where there are no sidewalks. Let’s remember that together we are responsible for our security.

The new line of reflective clothing makes pedestrians “light up like a Christmas tree”

November tends to be the most dangerous month of the year for pedestrians.

Daylight savings time has just ended and drivers are still adjusting to darker conditions at rush hour. Last year there were 37 pedestrian collisions (fatal and injury) in Edmonton during November, more than twice July’s total.

Irene Dixon, the creator of Reflective Advantage — a reflective garments line that launched this week — wants to prevent future collisions by making pedestrians more visible.

“You can’t prevent every accident, but you can give yourself an advantage,” she said.

A few years ago, Dixon was startled several times while out walking her two West Highland terriers on the roads by her home near Stony Plain. She would jump into ditches and pull the dogs down with her to get out of the way of speeding cars. She also had a few close calls behind the wheel, failing to spot pedestrians, some clad in black clothing, from far away.

As a nurse working in intensive care and neurology units, she saw the broken bones, burns and head injuries coming from car crashes and how the trauma of those accidents affected patients and their families.

Searching for solutions, she found only bulky safety apparel and expensive athletic gear with tiny reflective logos on the chest. She bought a reflective vest but didn’t like the fit or feel, so she started sewing more stylish options herself. First, she made dog coats with bright, high-visibility fabric for her Westies, Piper and McDuff. Drivers slowed down, even started smiling and waving at her and the dogs, so she made more items — walking vests with pockets and scarves with reflective stripes and stars.

“When you wear this, you light up like a Christmas tree,” Dixon said, twirling a commuter scarf around her neck. The $ 20 scarves have reflective material sewn and stuck to both sides and they come in different colors and styles.

Advertising campaigns asking pedestrians to take responsibility for being seen have drawn criticism in recent years. Last year, the City of Edmonton abandoned a proposed billboard ad that would have encouraged people to wear more reflective clothing. City spokesperson Gary Dyck told the Journal the ad was nixed after it received poor feedback from a panel of citizens who comment on city policies. A provincial traffic safety campaign reminding pedestrians to lock eyes with drivers before walking also drew criticism this fall.

Dixon, well aware of these debates, said she’s not out to blame pedestrians or remove the responsibility of drivers. She knows the city has adopted “Vision Zero,” a goal to eliminate all deaths and major injuries caused by car collisions, and is adding more pedestrian signals, improving left-turn signal timing and installing more driver feedback signs in high collision areas.

“All of those things take a lot of time and a lot of money,” she said.

“In the meantime, I want to allow myself and my friends to somehow protect ourselves.”

If you are going on holiday by car, you need to know the rules

Croatia, the most popular destination of Slovaks, directs daylight. Reflective vest, warning triangle, first aid kit, and even fire extinguisher are not missing.

Holiday destinations this year Slovaks also choose in terms of security. According to Invia statistics, the first places of interest are European countries that can be reached by car, namely Greece, Italy, and Croatia. Before traveling, drivers need to study the traffic rules not only in their destination but also in the countries they pass through.

In Austria and Slovenia, as the most common transit countries, 0.5 per mile of blood alcohol is tolerated. In Austria, unlike Slovenia, it is not necessary to light all day. Reflective waistcoat with reflective material, warning triangle, and first aid kit must be available to drivers. They must also present a green card in Slovenia. Children must be obliged to travel in child safety seats.

Croatia, the most popular destination of Slovaks, directs daylight. Reflective vest with reflective tape, warning triangle, first aid kit, and even fire extinguisher are not missing. “Children under 12 must not sit in the front seats. If they are traveling in the rear, they must have a suitable car seat or cushion designed for their age and weight category,” explains Lukas Fiala from Britax Romer.

Year-round lighting is mandatory outside the village and in Italy. “In Italy, there is also a new ban on smoking in a car carrying children under the age of 12 or pregnant women under a fine of between EUR 500 and EUR 5 000. The use of child seats is mandatory without exception,” adds Fiala. The first-aid kit is not mandatory in Italy, but due to its safety and the obligation to have a first-aid kit in the neighboring countries, experts recommend it here.

The maximum speed limit in Slovakia – Croatia / Italy states is 50 km / h in the municipality and 130 km / h on the motorway. A small amount of alcohol in the blood is also tolerated. However, experts do not recommend alcohol at all on long journeys.

One reflective vest in the car is sometimes not enough

Traffic accidents have increased significantly in recent days. The driver was often surprised by bad weather. But how to behave when leaving the vehicle outside the village or in a crash?

Frost, mists, ice – this is the last day’s weather. And many drivers have experienced how they can torment themselves. However, if you become involved in an accident or if your car breaks down on the road, you should follow certain rules, otherwise, you are also subject to a fine!

Sometimes a reflective vest is not enough

In the Czech Republic, the law mandates to have one reflective vest in the car – for the driver. If your car breaks down or crashes, you have to put it on when you leave the car; this obligation does not apply to other passengers. But under the new rules, they must not be left completely without security elements.

The driver must wear a reflective vest, but if the rest of the passengers move on an unlit road outside the village, they must be equipped with reflective material elements, “says the trainer drivers Jaroslav Honshu. There is a fine of up to two thousand crowns for breaking the regulations.

In some cases, the rest of the crew must have a reflective vest, both in terms of company vehicles and employee transport. “Any employee who enters the road to repair a car must move around the car in a reflective safety vest,” explains Hons’ government decree, according to which the employer is obliged to secure a sufficient number of vests. “They can either be stored in the car or the employee can fascinate them before boarding the car,” he adds.

Czech regulations do not specify where a reflective vest with reflective tape must be stored. Drivers can keep it in the cabin of the car, but also the trunk. But be careful abroad. “In some neighboring states there is a condition that the reflective vest must be placed within the driver’s reach, it is not stipulated in our country,” adds Honsů. Abroad, you have to watch the mandatory equipment, which is often different from the Czech.

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.

Reflective elements will be mandatory

In November and December, over the past 14 years, a total of 830 people have died, twice the number of other months. The blame is mainly the poor visibility of people on the roads, says traffic police director Tomas Lerch.

Driving in the coming months will be unpleasant sleet, slippery roads, fog and especially dark in the morning and early evening. Especially in the autumn and winter season, the most frequent clashes of cars with pedestrians occur due to reduced visibility. The police, together with the Besip department, will distribute 18,000 reflective tapes as part of the security event.

Pedestrians, according to the leader of Besip Martin Farar, are the only group of people killed in traffic accidents that die more at night than in the daytime. Eight out of ten victims die outside the crossings. In winter, pedestrians most often die in the morning between 06:00 and 07:00 when the light is not yet fully lit and in the afternoon after 16:00 when it gets dark.

November is the most dangerous month for pedestrians

The highest number of crashes is on 1st class roads, although the number of cases has a decreasing tendency. Conversely, on lower-class roads, the number of deaths is increasing. The least fatal incidents with pedestrians are on highways.

“Most of these tragic accidents happen just in the autumn in the morning or in the evening, at a time when everyone on the road is on the sidewalk, but even at a pedestrian crossing, at risk of not seeing them,” Warns Goodyear. According to statistics, November is the riskiest month for pedestrians.

In December and January, the driver waits long hours behind the wheel without sunlight, and the possibility of a serious traffic accident increases significantly. Even if drivers drive only one-fifth of the total mileage at night, nearly 50 percent of all major road accidents happen at night or in the dark.

This year, 68 pedestrians died on the roads from January to September, but according to Besip estimates, this figure will rise to around 116 by the end of the year. Over the last three months, more than two-fifths of those killed have been killed. Pedestrians are the third-largest group of fatalities after passenger car drivers and their passengers. They are followed by bikers and cyclists.

Cars are obliged to shine, but pedestrians, even though they are the most vulnerable in traffic, do not have such a duty yet. The Ministry of Transport, however, has already prepared a law that would require the use of reflective elements.

The draft amendment to the Act on Road Traffic, which is currently under the comment procedure, envisages the introduction of an obligation for pedestrians moving along an unlit road or on the edge of a roadway to have reflective elements on them.

“Every pedestrian should know that in dark clothes, he is almost invisible in the dark on the road. A driver who does not see the pedestrians in time cannot respond quickly and avoids pedestrians safely,” explains Katarína Ardová from Goodyear. It is therefore very important that the driver sees the pedestrian or cyclist in time. Any reflective element that can reflect the incident light from the vehicle headlamps is well suited to this.

With reflective material elements, the pedestrian is visible to the driver up to 200 meters, while if the wear is black or blue, it is only 18 meters. However, the reflective elements do not work much in fog, rain or snow.

In some countries, the number of deaths has been reduced by the mandatory use of reflective vests for pedestrians. Reflective elements can reduce pedestrian participation in a fatal accident by up to ten times in poor visibility. In addition to a vest, a suitable solution is a backpack or jackets with reflective elements. “We found it better to move the light area,” says Robert Stastný from Skoda Auto. “Reflective elements are better to have on the limbs we move than on the body or backpack,” he adds.