The decree, which makes the incorporation of this element mandatory in the safety kit of private cars, trucks, taxis and other motorized vehicles, will come into force on January 1. Drivers receive reflective vests that will be of mandatory use from January 1
A massive delivery of reflective retro vests to drivers made this afternoon the National Traffic Safety Commission with the Chilean Safety Association and the Automobile Club of Chile, as a way to promote its use and disseminate this element among drivers since, as of January 1, it will be mandatory to incorporate the safety kit of all motor vehicles.
Authorities and executives moved to O'Higgins Park to deliver this type of vests to the Union of Truck Drivers, the National Confederation of Truck Owners. As well as private motorists who circulate nearby. The Executive Secretary of Cohasset, Gabriela, explained that a driver is exposed to suffer an accident when he descends from his vehicle because of a technical failure, especially if the emergency occurs in low light or at night.
Faced with this situation, a decree of the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications will enter into effect, making the wearing of a reflective safety vest compulsory on the vehicle, in order to make the driver more visible in the event that he must descend from the vehicle to attend a situation of emergency. "The lack of visibility is the main factor that affects the occurrence of the abuses in low-light hours, so we are promoting the use of reflective material to protect people's lives and prevent accidents," said the professional.
The high visibility vest must contain both fluorescent and retro reflective material, and must always be carried in a location on the vehicle that is accessible from inside, such as the glove box, in order to get the driver off the vehicle wearing already the vest.
For its part, the specialist in the Transport and Logistics Sector of ACHS pointed out the institution concerned about the safety of the country's workers. They want to make a call to all employers, regardless of the size of the company or the type of activity that they carry out. Since this new regulation on the mandatory carrying of reflective vest in every vehicle, is a measure that comes to protect the workers that due to their activity they must drive, whether they are professional drivers or not.
In the last ten years, more than 6,000 people have been killed in Chile and in 2014 alone, 615 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. This figure corresponds to 38% of the total number of deaths nationwide. According to international experiences, the use of reflective elements significantly reduces the number of abuses. The infraction for not carrying the vest in the car will constitute a slight fault, which translates into a fine of 0.2 to 0.5 UTM.
