Child safety on the road

When and how you can walk with children on the road? Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users and this is doubly true of children. When a car hits a pedestrian at a speed of 30 km / h, an average of every 20 pedestrians dies, with a speed of 50 km / h, almost half of the impact will not survive. The encounter of a pedestrian with a car driving 60 km / h means almost certain death for him.

However, if a car collides with a child at any speed, it can always end tragically, at a speed of 30 km / h is already critical to the child. This is precisely why care should be taken to prevent the safety of children on the road, which also addressed in the amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which entered into force in January this year.

Among other things, the amendment to the Road Traffic Act also brought additional obligations for pedestrians on the roadside or the roadside. In poor visibility, they must wear reflective elements or safety clothing not only outside the village but also inside it. The law defines reduced visibility as visibility in which road users do not see each other sufficiently clearly, especially from dusk to dawn, at fog, snow, rain or in a tunnel.

Especially in municipalities that do not have sidewalks at the edge of roads, these preventive measures are taking place, as the risk of a pedestrian collision with a motor vehicle has increased significantly. If the pedestrian moving along the road is not wearing reflective elements, the distance that the driver can see is significantly reduced.

Proper clothing in road safety plays a very important role. Generally, if we dressed in dark colors, the driver of a motor vehicle us in the dark, they see from a distance of about 20 meters, but the reflective material shines up to 200 meters distance. This effect is even more pronounced in young children.

Clothing and accessories in bright fluorescent colors then greatly contribute to increased safety during the day. Visibility of pedestrians and especially children or cyclists can be increased not only by well-chosen clothing but also by various reflective elements, patches, and accessories made of special materials. Reflective material at night can be seen at three times greater distance than white clothing, and at more than ten times greater distance than dark clothing.

At a speed of 75 km / h, the driver needs at least 31 meters (about 1.5 seconds) to realize the danger and respond appropriately. Thus, pedestrians, cyclists and skaters will be given enough time with reflective materials or various elements.

REFLECTING ELEMENTS

By using reflective elements, pedestrians protect their health and life. So their standard equipment, especially in autumn or winter, should include a reflective vest, tape and various illumination on the hand, foot, hat or bike helmet reflective stickers.

Reflective elements for children include safety reflective vest or reflective vest worn on top clothes, ensures good visibility for at least 50 meters and serves to protect children when moving on the road, walking and overall outdoors. The reflective safety strap can be attached to a shoulder, leg or bag as it rolls itself and is suitable for children and adults. For school bag, rucksack or backpack it is possible to buy reflective cover of yellow color, which is well visible from long distance.

It is fastened with sewn rubber and rubber straps and is also ideal for hiking or cycling trips. Reflective elements already used by many manufacturers of clothing and school bags, which can be supplemented with the above-mentioned reflective vests, retractable straps, as well as caps and winter hats with reflective patches, reflective keys, pendants in the shape of various animals, etc.

Even shoes equipped with reflective elements as standard reflective elements should always be placed on moving parts of the body, ideally on the upper or lower limbs. To be sufficiently visible, they must not be overlapped by additional layers of clothing or carry baggage. Having reflective elements on your clothes is not an expensive thing or a disgrace.