Only one in four drivers remember that he has just overtaken an urban cyclist

Wear a reflective vest with reflective tape on the bike or do not wear it. If the cyclist uses this safety element, the driver will be more aware of his presence and will drive with more caution and safe distance. On the contrary, when the cyclist does not take it, the driver pays less attention to the cyclist and advances it with less care. It is the main conclusion reached by the report "Driving attention: invisible cyclists for drivers", presented this morning in Madrid Mapfre Foundation and Bosch Spain.

The study is the result of a survey of 1,031 drivers who have overtaken a cyclist in a street and who have been asked if they have been aware of it during their journey. The report also includes the results of an in-depth analysis that has been carried out on 15 drivers between 20 and 57 years old, who have been monitored to see if they have been aware of the presence of cyclists and to analyze their behavior at the wheel, driving style and mistakes made.

Only one in four Spanish drivers (specifically, 23.1%) remember that just ahead of a cyclist without a reflective vest on a street, a proportion that increases to one in three (35.4%) if they exceed a bicycle user wearing a vest.

The study was carried out during the day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in Madrid. A total of 1,031 drivers participated in the quantitative phase of the investigation when overtaking a cyclist with a vest and another without him for about 400 meters. Some 100 meters later, they were surveyed during the 30 seconds they stood at a red light with two or three questions: if they had seen a bicycle circulating in the last 400 meters, if there was any risk of interacting with that vehicle and, in case affirmative, what was it.

In the case of the cyclist without a vest, only 23.1% answered that they had seen him and 3.9% that he had assumed some risk to overtake him. As for the bicycle users wearing a reflective vest, 35.4% verbally confirmed a conscious visualization and only 7.8% acknowledged having perceived some risk when passing it.

Therefore, the great majority of drivers of motor vehicles are not aware of the fact that they overtake cyclists, although this circumstance is greater among those who interact with bicyclists with vests, to whom they apply a greater safety distance.

On the other hand, a total of 15 drivers from 20 to 57 years participated in the qualitative phase of the study accompanied by a psychologist, who analyzed the behavior of motorists, their driving style and the mistakes made.

In this case, 27% of the drivers had made an effective visualization of the cyclist without a vest, which means that the others did the maneuver automatic way, and the perception of risk appeared in 1% of motorists. Regarding the cyclist with a vest, 39% had seen it and 8% had some perception of risk.

According to the study, users of bicycles were involved in 8,065 accidents in 2017, in which 78 cyclists died, 694 were injured hospitalized and 7,035 were injured not hospitalized. The accidents occurred mostly in urban roads (72%). That same year, four cyclists under the age of 15 died.

Given the lack of perception of cyclists by drivers and the increasing use of the bicycle as a means of urban transport, Bosch has developed the automatic emergency braking system with detection of cyclists, which was presented this Thursday after the study became known.

Jalisco insists on vest and plates for motorcyclists

Although at the time the measure rejected for stigmatizing the person, the Government of the State of Jalisco decided to relaunch the program and announced that from March all motorcyclists must wear a reflective vest with some plates. Otherwise, they will be fined and the vehicle will be confiscated if they do not prove its origin. The operation will be applied throughout the State, mainly in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (AMG) and is aimed at low-displacement bikes of less than 250 cubic centimeters.

The authority argues that motorcycles used to commit crimes and are handled by people. That is, those who notify suspected members of organized crime when elements of a police corporation up to a certain demarcation. However, neither the coordinator of the Cabinet of Security in the State, nor the Secretary of Public Security, released statistics on the number of crimes in which they use this type of transport, and that finally led them to reactivate the operatives. Of course, "There are thousands of motorcycles used by criminals to steal, to assault, to transport the stolen material, to flee from authority, to transport drugs, in such a way that there are real bands of motorcyclists that without any control runs through our streets and avenues representing a risk for society, "said Macedonio Tamez Guajardo, coordinator of the Security Cabinet.

This operation implemented by the last administration and in the end, it suspended due to the precautionary measures issued by the State Human Rights Commission (CEDH). We recommend: More than 40 complaints about fuel theft in Tlajomulco Today, he said, "we are not asking" the CEDHJ. Also, he said that the measure does not violate human rights.

Motorcyclists must carry plate numbers in vests or shirts with a size of 30 by 20 cm; they must have 20% anti-reflective material in their clothing; helmet, lights, flashing signals; carry the circulation card and the license. "This measure will not only allow them to be identified with certainty in an instant but at the same time it intends to avoid delinquency and the misuse of these vehicles, a provision that already exists in the current regulations but has been unduly ignored for many years," argued Tamez.

The fine for motorcyclists who fail the measure is between 844 to 2 thousand 534 pesos. Also, the vehicle will be insured in case of not carrying the driving card and the motorcyclist's license. 638 motorcycles confiscated This operation started last week and until just this Wednesday it became official. The Secretary of Public Security of the State of Jalisco, Daniel Velasco Ramírez explained that 638 motorcycles have been confiscated. Forty percent lacked plates and 60 percent of circulation cards.

In that time, road agents raised 2 thousand 921 infractions was the coordinator of Security, Guajardo said that 80 percent of motorcycles have not been claimed by the owners. Hence, it is presumed that they are stolen and used to commit a crime. "Interestingly of the bikes that have been insured for infractions, most have not been picked up by their owners, which speaks that many of them were stolen and used for crime and is in the corralón, the owner of them must submit documentation, pay the fine and you can recover it, but at least 80 percent are still there," he concluded.

Halloween in Colombia needs extreme precautions with children

The Halloween date is approaching and from now on several safety recommendations must be taken into account, for this the parents of the family and the dialogue that they must carry out with their children must be a priority. Both children and young people and even adults themselves must follow a series of precautions to avoid headaches or even a much more serious situation than with the integrity of people.

The National Police and the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), explain a series of recommendations that are very relevant for this date and even for those before the celebration that in Colombia, is better known as the "Children's Day".

Through inspection, surveillance and control operations to establishments where the most consumed products are sold during the Halloween season, the authorities prepare for the celebration of October 31, avoiding the marketing and distribution of sweets in poor condition or with alterations in their packaging and labels, which can cause damage to the health of children and adults who consume them.

To take into account, on this date children are the most vulnerable to accidents, robberies, or poisoning, for this reason, pay close attention to these recommendations:

Indications for children

Instruct the children how to call 123, in case of having an emergency or getting lost.

Children are always accompanied, during the whole journey, by their parents or a responsible adult.

Show them and teach the children where they should go in case of getting lost. That the minors know the authorities.

Immediately inform the authorities about any suspicious or illegal attitude or activity.

Carry a cell phone to achieve rapid communication in an emergency.

Avoid putting on costumes that may cause allergies or lessons to children, as well as masks that block their visibility.

Do not allow for any reason that children manipulate gunpowder.

Verify that the food received by the children is reliable. That the packages are well sealed.

Do not receive food without wraps and check sweets before they are consumed.

Do not allow children to receive candy from people who generate distrust or are unknown.

Do not allow minors to move with strangers and less to isolated places.

Make adequate control of the sweets that your children consume. Do not allow excess.

More precautionary measures

Make sure children eat healthy foods before going out to ask for sweets.

If the costumes of the children are dark, put a reflective tape so that they can be seen by the drivers.

Write the name of the child in a rosette or legible place of disguise, along with the address and telephone number of the location.

Make sure that costume accessories such as swords, helmets, and others are soft and pose no risk to other children on the street.

Be especially careful with those latex masks that can cause poor ventilation and complicate the breathing of children.

Do not let go of children's hands, especially at the crossroads.

Be careful with children when passing streets, use pedestrian bridges.

Place a cardholder attached to your clothes with their names, address, and phone number.

Prevent children from finding themselves alone among crowds.

Do not allow your children to stay until late at night on the streets.

Drive with caution, do not forget that by this date many children are transiting the roads.

Be careful with the kids!

Behind the disguised adults, a delinquent can be hidden, so it is convenient for the parents to accompany their children to take the tour to ask for sweets.

Do not leave the responsibility for the care of your children to other minors.

Do not let go of children's hands, especially at the crossroads.

Explain to children that it is not safe to talk to strangers, or receive things; In case of getting lost, go to or look for a Police or a Vigilante and not any person.

Be aware of possible messages or invitations made by social networks to meetings or invitations to unknown places or places.

Indications for adults

Do not wear masks that can obstruct your vision and cause accidents, even more, if you have a child in charge.

Do not travel in places with low light or with a high rate of theft.

In the case of going out to celebrate Halloween, do it in well-known and crowded places.

Halloween is an intensely active date, so, normally, congestion occurs on the tracks. That is why being tolerant and moving with caution will avoid accidents.

Leaving home early will save you time and get to your destination faster.

Under no circumstances accept to board cars of unknown persons.

In which case you drink alcoholic beverages, do not drive and, if so, look for a person who may be an elected driver or a safe transportation service.

If you are going to use special contact lenses to complement your disguise, for safety acquire them in certified places to avoid irritation and discomfort.

Make-up on Halloween is already a tradition and there are several alternatives to do so, always choose places where the products are certified and avoid allergies such as skin irritations.

Xunta and DGT will distribute 7,400 reflective vests among pedestrians

Different departments of the Xunta and the Directorate General of Traffic will distribute 7,400 reflective vests among pedestrians, as vulnerable road users, to improve their safety.

The initiative of the Consellería de Infraestruturas plans to deliver 30,000 vests with reflective tapes for pedestrians and 3,000 for cyclists between 2018 and 2020, with a budget of more than 108,000 euros.

The Conselleria de Infraestruturas e Mobilidade, Ethel Vázquez, has delivered these garments to various departments of the Galician government and the DGT, which will collaborate in its distribution, in an act this Friday.

The objective is to work to achieve the purpose of reducing risks in transit on the roads of the most vulnerable users, for which actions are necessary for children, the elderly, people with reduced mobility, cyclists or motorcyclists

Precisely, also the Civil Guard of Ourense has reported the start of a campaign to deliver vests to pedestrians who are transiting the roads of the province.

The campaign is aimed at older people, since they are the ones with the shortest commutes on foot, and who usually wear garments of inconspicuous colors.

We try to raise awareness that with the reduction of daylight hours, the frequent fog areas, the existence of rainy days and the absence of solar lighting in autumn and winter, pedestrians are a very vulnerable group that frequently suffer abuses.

It also translates that the use of the vest is mandatory between sunset and sunrise and in cases of reduced visibility due to the variation of weather conditions.

Everything you need to know about mandatory vests and triangles

From Wednesday, any car not equipped with fluorescent vest and the pre-signaling triangle is liable to a fine of at least 90 euros. The remainder of the main provisions of this new security measure.

How many vest and triangle should one have onboard? A reflective vest and a pre-signaling triangle must have been in each vehicle since July 1st. However the Minister of Ecology, in charge of road safety, Jean-Louis Borloo had granted a deadline until Wednesday so that motorists can equip themselves "in the best conditions". From 1 October, law enforcement officials will verbalize any driver who does not have the two objects onboard his car.

Should the vest be visible under all circumstances? The retro-reflective vest must be worn by the driver before he leaves his vehicle. But it is not mandatory to drape the vest in the front passenger seat. The jacket should only be easy to access, storing it in the glove box or under a seat is enough.

Where should the triangle be placed? The triangle must be onboard the vehicle, be stored in the cockpit and not in the trunk of the car, and be placed on the road, as soon as the driver leaves his vehicle, at a distance of at least 30 meters from the vehicle. the automobile or obstacle to reporting. Hazard warning lights remain mandatory when the car equipped with them.

Where can we buy them? The kit is in supermarkets, in the centers' autos, in the markets as in the Paris metro. Prices can vary from single to triple, from 6.50 € in hypermarket to 20 € in the corridors of public transport of the capital.

To comply with European legislation, the vest must be marked "CE" and the triangle marked "E27R".

In case of infringement, what is the risk? The offending motorist incurs a fine of 135 euros. The amount of the contravention can be reduced to 90 euros if it is paid on the spot or within three days after the verbalization.

What is the legislation for two wheels? Bikers and scooter drivers are exempted from wearing a vest under any circumstances. The jacket is recommended but not mandatory for cyclists traveling in town.

On the other hand, wearing the vest is imposed on cyclists, pilots, and passengers, who ride out of town in poor visibility conditions (rain, fog) or during the night. In the case of forgetfulness, the pedal will have to pay a fine of 35 euros.

Is the yellow vest mandatory for motorcycles and scooters?

The mandatory wearing of the yellow reflective vest, which returns to the front of the scene in recent days, is an old story for bikers. One could even say an old fight since users of two motorized wheels has so far been opposed to such a change. It is indeed not the first time that the idea of wearing a retro-reflective vest is advanced.

At the Interdepartmental Committee on Road Safety (IRB) on May 11, 2011, the government had already tried to impose it. After a few days of intense debate, the interior minister at the time, Claude Guéant, had backtracked. In the aftermath of the IRB's announcements, many mobilizations were supported by the French Association of Suppliers and Users of Driver Assistance Technologies (AFFTAC). The bikers had been able to get quite easily the setting of the wearing of the vest. To be precise, he did not leave the closet but in the bag or under the saddle, since the presence of this equipment is mandatory in an automobile as motorized two-wheelers.

So why come out the vest?

Some misplaced minds could say that by imposing the yellow vest to bikers, it would tear the protesters. But this idea stems rather from the upcoming arrival in the Highway Code of the New Personal Electric Vehicles (NVEI) or Personal Movement Vehicles (PDU). Electric scooters and other hoverboards that swarm on the sidewalks of our cities for a few months. The government has therefore announced on May 4 an amendment to the Highway Code for September 2019. It's objective: to make room in the regulation of these devices new mobility by imposing them, in addition to the helmet, the wearing of the yellow vest, night and during the day when "visibility is insufficient".

Remember that it had long been envisaged to settle the legal issues raised by their arrival in the context of the Mobility Orientation Act (LOM). But its adoption is slow and the multiplication of incidents no longer allows to wait. The legal vacuum will be filled at the start of the school year using a regulatory amendment. However, the LOM law has not said its last word in terms of new mobility. And one will find probably in this catch-all text provisions relating specifically to NVEI or EDP. This is notably the case of amendment No. CD1951 filed on May 9 by 27 LaREM deputies, whose logic and content.

Everyone has the same sign

The diversity of the acclaimed machines, especially by users of agglomerations, raises the question of coherence. So we already find this concern in the announcements made May 4, in terms of wearing a helmet. It would indeed have been difficult to allow young users under the age of twelve to ride on a scooter without a helmet, while they must wear it when they are struggling on the bike.

The logic is a bit similar for Amendment No. CD1951 tabled on May 9th. We understand the concern of members to ensure the good visibility of users of electric scooters or other Monowheel, especially at night.

The text of Amendment No. CD1951

"Chapter 6 of Book 4 of the Highway Code is supplemented by a new Article L. 413-6 as follows: Article L. 413-6 - In circulation, every driver or passenger of a bicycle, a scooter, a Segway, a motorcycle, a motor tricycle, a motor quadricycle or a moped must wear a high visibility vest and be wearing a type-approved helmet. must be tied in. The fact that any driver contravenes the provisions of this section is punishable by the fine for class IV tickets. " In other words, everyone is housed in the same sign yellow mandatory vest, bike to the bike through the scooter. Note that the question of the degree of visibility is not addressed in this amendment.

The question of the legal framework of these machines certainly had to be settled. But with electric scooters that can sneak as fast as scooter or motorcycle, the question of the difference in treatment arises. Why impose the wearing of the vest to the user of one of these scooters while the driver of a scooter neither more nor less fast would be dispensed? That's why the 27 members want to impose the yellow vest on everyone.

In any case, many clubs and biker associations have already expressed their hostility to wearing the yellow vest with reflective tape.

Reflective vest belongs to the car cabin and not to the trunk

Reflective vest, which is part of the mandatory equipment of the vehicle, belongs to the car cabin and not to its trunk. This is the basic lesson that motorists have been able to meet over the past few days in traffic controls around the metropolis. The Central Bohemian Police have been involved in a preventive action aimed at increasing the visibility of motorists.

Its mission is to remind motorists of the obligation to use a warning safety vest every time a driver leaves a car to deal with a technical fault or traffic accident. "That is why he should have it at hand and not in the luggage compartment," said police officer Monika Schindlová.

Having a chauffeur's vest in your car is a duty. However, police officers point out the need to ensure safety for the entire crew. It is ideal for everyone in the car to have a vest in their car for Uncle Event.

It is not just about words. As part of preventive action, police officers pass on another vest to the inspected driver. "Just for fellow travelers," Schindl explained, adding that very positive reactions were heard from drivers.

During the first 13 days of the campaign, the Central Bohemia police handed out a total of 462 reflective vests at nine inspection events; most in the Kladno region and in the nearest metropolis.

But by far not all the vests are over. The current wave of the campaign is scheduled for December 15, when motorists in Mlada Boleslav will meet police officers with waistcoats, and further checks are planned until February.

For the use of a warning vest for drivers who get out of the car to deal with a crisis situation - police would also recommend pedestrians as a useful addition. And if not a vest sew on reflective tape, then at least reflective clothing. Especially in the current season with short days, long nights and sometimes poor visibility even at noon.

Without exaggeration, it can be a matter of life and death in the dark or in the rain. While, for example, a figure in blue clothing, can only be seen from 18 meters, reflective elements are visible up to 200 meters. While driving at 75 km / h, the driver needs about 30 meters to react and avoid pedestrians.