Tag: reflective tapes

The Ministry of Transportation issued the resolution that regulates the installation and use of retro-reflective tapes in cargo and passenger vehicles that circulate on the roads of the national territory, to increase visibility and reduce the probability of road accidents.

The Transport portfolio indicated that the tapes will be mandatory for vehicles traveling on public or private roads, and also the colors established for the retro-reflective tapes are only red and white.

Both public service and private motor vehicles intended for the transport of passengers, with a capacity of more than 9 passengers including the driver, that transit through the suburban, rural national routes, must have the tapes installed no later than January 4.

The deadlines for controls to start were established in three groups, the first expires on September 4, 2019; In this are cargo transport vehicles with a weight greater than 0.75 tons, as well as agricultural, industrial and self-propelled construction machinery that travels on public roads.

The last term expires on May 4 and applies to mixed transport vehicles, with a capacity of more than 9 passengers including the driver, that transit on public or private roads.

The resolution establishes that for public and private vehicles, destined for the transportation of passengers that circulate exclusively on the roads of the municipal urban perimeter, the installation and use of retro-reflective tapes will not be compulsory; This measure can be accepted voluntarily.

The document states that vehicles must install a white tape on the front, the white and red tapes must be located on the side and red tape must be placed on the back. Drivers who do not adopt these measures will be sanctioned by the corresponding authorities.

Freight transport causes traffic accidents for various reasons, one of these is the lack of lighting, so personnel from the Traffic Department of the National Civil Police (PNC) place reflective tapes on trailers and trucks, to make them more visible, especially at night and when it rains.

Delegates from the Traffic Department indicated that the reflective tapes are given to drivers as part of the Winter Road Safety 2019 campaign, which aims to reduce road mishaps.

They also mentioned that many of those vehicles are stranded due to mechanical damage or are parked in the middle of the lanes without any type of lighting, which has caused accidents, so they also make a call to conscience to the pilots to place reflective cones. and keep emergency lights in good condition.

According to statistics from the Traffic Department, trucks and trailers are responsible for 5.1 percent of accidents across the country. 39 percent of mishaps are caused by motorcyclists and the rest by drivers of different types of vehicles.

Prevention

Recently, the Traffic Department began training for pilots of private companies, since, according to authorities, many drivers are unaware of the rules for driving and therefore commit fouls.

Bad conditions

Rony Mendoza, president of the Heavy Transport Union, considers that the conditions in which truck and trailer drivers work are deplorable and that there is an unfair competition that does not allow those who work on their own to have better labor guarantees.

“If someone is offered a freight for Q3 thousand, there is never a shortage that arrives and offers Q2 thousand. That is unfair,” he lamented.

Mendoza said that the problem is that many drivers start driving from 1 in the morning and do not have adequate places to rest or eat food.

Also read: Rain causes damage in four departments in the south-west of the country

Pilot testimonials

Mechanical failures and fatigue of the head drivers are factors that affect the tragedies.

Rigoberto López, the trailer pilot, said: “They are machines, and at any moment they fail. This work is tiring. Time restrictions affect us. We drive all night to get through the city. Sometimes it makes me sleepy, like every human being”.

Alejandro Ramírez, the trailer pilot, stated: “There is also recklessness on the part of many drivers. You should drive to 80, and if urged at 85. After that there is a danger that the brakes will not respond. Some go up to 120 kilometers per hour, at night”.

According to authorities, there are several reasons why trailer and truck accidents occur.

Every April 28, the International Day of Safety and Health at Work is celebrated. The date, promoted by the International Labor Organization (ILO), aims to raise awareness about the importance of companies safeguarding the well-being of their employees and implementing effective safety measures.

According to the 2018 Statistical Memory of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) research, an average of 527,802 work accidents occurs in the country per year (with data from 2008 to 2018). Of this number, the construction, department stores, food, and ground transportation sectors top the list with the most misfortunes, respectively.

The prevention of accidents in work environments is vital and fundamental to maintain a safe work environment that protects the most valuable asset of companies: the workforce. Having a hazard-free environment contributes to the significant reduction of accidents that can lead to injuries or even deaths. Reducing these mishaps helps prevent work absenteeism and the irremediable temporary hiring of employees.

In this context, all sectors have different levels of risk and challenges in this area. Some actions that can make a difference are developing safety models in the work area such as signs, delimitation of areas, use of machinery, and use of clothing that are appropriate to your operations and facilities. That the corresponding safety area evaluates these risks and determines the protection conditions for each area, as well as the correct use of these measures, can make the difference in the reduction of accidents.

The constant use of machinery and the exposure of personnel to the outside, such as on oil platforms or mines, as well as the manipulation of elements such as cables and dangerous tools, creates the need for adequate clothing and clothing that offers comfort and protection in certain circumstances. An example of this is reflective clothing, which contributes to employee safety in low-light settings.

An example of this is the construction sector that requires appropriate clothing and clothing for the installation of cables and pipes on the site for the prevention of mishaps. The characteristics of the materials with which Dickies garments are made (such as thick fabrics and reinforced seams) are designed to facilitate mobility and protect workers from hostile environments.

Dickies is a benchmark for workplace safety. The design of its products has properties that adjust to the needs of personal protection in different sectors. An example of this is Dickies’ W487 overalls with reflective tapes for low-light environments or Walls FR 395 denim pants that are fire retardant, allowing you to go out in the event of a sudden fire or arc flash.

The constant implementation of prevention campaigns in which safety measures or initiatives are reported generates more confidence among workers. This is because this generates certain tranquility in the work environment knowing that the company cares about them and their safety. Therefore, a worker is more likely to be loyal if he feels that the company he works for prioritizes his integrity.

The Seimas Energy and Sustainable Development Commission approved the draft amendment to the Law on Road Traffic Safety, which concerns the obligation of cyclists to wear a brightly colored vest reflecting light, with four members voting in favor and three abstentions.

The project’s explanatory memorandum states that the project aims to remove the unnecessary, statistically unjustified requirement for cyclists to wear a brightly colored vest with reflective tapes or to have a white light on the front and a red light on the front and red light on. to provide for this requirement when driving on the carriageway, except cycle paths, footpaths, and cycle paths and cycle lanes.

According to the authors, the draft law aims to make cycling more aesthetically and comfortably attractive – without reducing traffic safety, to abandon excessive requirements for bicycle traffic during daylight hours.

The draft will still have to be considered by the main committee before the Seimas sitting.

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.