"DO WE SEE?" - PEDESTRIANS SHOULD WEAR REFLECTIVE CLOTHING

Pedestrians in traffic should become more visible - especially in rural areas of the Czech Republic. Reflective clothing, ribbons and safety vests soon become mandatory for non-motorized road users in certain situations.

Reflective clothing can be detected about three times as far away in the night traffic as bright clothing and up to ten times greater distance than dark clothing. Exactly 200 meters. The clothing thus significantly increases the safety of road users and can avoid many accidents. From February, it will be mandatory in the Czech Republic to wear reflective clothing. The rule applies in the dark, rain or fog, outside towns where there is no sidewalk and no street lighting. Martin Farář is the head of the Road Safety Department at the Ministry of Transport:

"The requirement applies to pedestrians moving on unlit roads. When they walk by the side of the road, they are obliged to wear clothing or clothing made of reflective material in such a way that they are seen by all road users. "

For the pedestrians who go from one village to another at night, there are no exact rules on the size of the warning elements. Martin Farář explains the rules:

It is not enough to have a reflective sticker on the front of the jacket or the coat or the backpack on the back. The reflector must be visible from all sides. Most suitable for this are reflective tapes, which are worn around the wrist or ankle. It is best to carry the strip as far down as possible because the lights of the vehicles are directed downwards."

Failure to comply can result in fines of up to 2500 kroner (92 euros). The new regulation will come into effect in February. In a transitional period, the police should inform about the provision and distribute reflective tapes in the population.

"We launched an information campaign under the motto," See you? ". That's why we work with the police."

Reflector duty for pedestrians comes into effect through a change in the law, signed Thursday by President Miloš Zeman. The novella includes a few more changes in the road. In the future, motorists will be required to clear their cars of snow before driving if the snow limits their visibility or jeopardizes other road users. If a dangerous defect on the vehicle is detected during a check, the police may soon confiscate the vehicle registration. And anyone who drives over a railroad crossing despite a warning signal must expect a driving license withdrawal of up to six months.