Is Reflective motorcycle clothes necessity or fad

Autumn is coming soon and the weather will not allow for frequent and long trips on a single track as if we wanted to. Driving after dark and in the dark will become an everyday necessity. It was then good to be visible and to see others. It is not necessary to explain the legitimacy of applying glare - this is how the article would start, but it will not start, if only because translation is necessary, especially among motorcyclists.

Although it often arouses mixed feelings, it is extremely lucid in this matter - the threat of a lack of visibility is enormous and if a well-chosen reflective accessory makes its owner visible on the road from a distance of up to 150 m, its absence means that it will be visible only from a distance of 30 m! Research on the causes of accidents involving motorcyclists clearly indicate that people wearing reflective elements are exposed to an accident by 37% less frequently than people who do not wear any reflections. The helmet itself, in white, light or painted with reflective paint reduces the possibility of taking part in an accident from 19 to 24%.

Autumn is coming soon and the weather will not allow for frequent and long trips on a single track as if we wanted to. Driving after dark and in the dark will become an everyday necessity. It was then good to be visible and to see others. The stories quoted below have indeed happened last season, but they can be dated to any autumn or early spring evening. Way from school to home. 7pm. It is already very grayish, and with the background of an unlit roadside, two pedestrians and one cyclist merge. Their jackets glow in the dark with reflective material. "Oh, look! At last, people thought about safety and wear reflective clothing! Well, unless it is motorcyclists... "Of course, my statement works one hundred percent. If someone "shines", means - a motorcyclist. In practice, 120 m dividing the visible and invisible motorcyclist may be the only difference between a motorist alive and dead...

There are many criteria that must be met by motorcycle clothing - as a rule; it must be pleasing and well protected. In addition, how is it with visibility? How much do we pay attention to reflective elements? After all, they also increase our safety. David L. Hough, an authority in the field of motorcycling for many two-wheelers, in his book Motorcycle Player Perfect mentions how important it is to wear flares by people riding a motorcycle. Hough plays a special role for beginner motorcyclists, but nowadays, especially in Poland, where the weather does not spoil us, regardless of the internship, it is worth investing in one's own safety.

Although there is more reflective clothing on the market, it is most often associated with a green or orange vest - banned by a large group of motorcyclists. Hated, but until recently treated as the only option to improve our visibility, especially on long journeys. It was difficult to deny its raison d'être. Increasingly, however, professional motorcycle clothing is equipped with reflective elements. We do not have to think about the vest at the time, especially since the positioning of these reflections is thoughtful, so that the clothing looks aesthetically and does not scare large parts of reflective material, while at the same time fulfilling the function of reflecting light.

Pedestrians must wear reflective clothing after dark

Pedestrians who walk outside the built-up area after dark must wear reflective clothing. From September, reflections for pedestrians will be mandatory. There was not much left for the tragedy. Mrs. Alicia from Lodz was traveling with her husband for a holiday to the countryside. It was dark; the road was winding and narrow.

We were driving a hunchback and the car had no super-light. It was a communal road, access to the village. There was no lighthouse here - says the Lydian. - I was tired already, but we were almost at the end. Suddenly, some 30 meters in front of me, I saw a group of people. They walked the middle of the road, they did not have any flares, and they were all dressed in black. I did not have a chance to see them before. The road was winding and I noticed these people only when I left the next bend.

Fortunately, Mrs. Alicia managed to slow down.

They were also scared, some of them escaped to the side of the road. This would not be the case if these people were better visible. Therefore, it is very good that the rules will change and everyone both children and adults will have to wear high visibility vest - says Mrs. Alicia. The new regulations enter into force on August 31. With the new school year, every pedestrian who, after dark, will go outside the built-up area, must wear reflective elements. Reflectors must be placed in visible places on the clothes - emphasizes the younger aspirant Marianna from the traffic department of the Municipal Police Headquarters.

Everyone, regardless of their age, will have to wear them. Until now, only children up to the age of 15 had to wear reflective elements. The new regulations are to improve the safety of pedestrians on the roads. Reflective elements in many cases save life. An exception, when you do not have to wear a reflective vest, there are places outside the built-up area, where there is a pedestrian road, or a sidewalk - says a younger aspirant.

Do not you wear a reflective vest

One of the most important safety rules is the principle of visibility. Road traffic participants should take care to be visible to others and be prepared to be able to observe the road and its surroundings.

This principle takes on a special dimension in the context of protecting the life and health of pedestrians and cyclists. They are the least protected on the road, and in the case of road accidents with their participation, there is the highest probability of tragic consequences.

In 2015, 8,398 pedestrians were killed and injured on Polish roads. This number is lower than in 2013 by 404, but in European statistics, we are in the top three countries with the highest rate of pedestrian victims in relation to all accident victims. Romania and Latvia have the highest rate in Europe - 40%, and Poland - 35%. The average of the European Union is 22%, which means that every fourth victim of road accidents is pedestrian.

Due to this situation, various measures are taken to improve pedestrian safety. One of them is the introduction of the obligation to use reflectors as equipment for pedestrians moving from dusk to dawn outside the built-up area. This provision came into force on August 31, 2014. Only when we move outside the built-up area on a road intended only for pedestrians or on the sidewalk, is we free of flares.

Reflective tape is an example of how small equipment can improve our safety. Without it, the driver will see the pedestrian only from a distance of about 30 meters. This distance will be even smaller if it rains or snow. Remember that a distance of 30 meters gives little chance for the driver to react properly. Assuming that the average driver response time is 1 second, a driver driving outside the built-up area at 90 km / h will defeat 25 meters before taking action. In the case of a human collision with a car traveling at over 70 km / h, a person has no chance of survival.

Applying the glare will cause the driver to notice a pedestrian from a distance of about 130 meters. Thanks to this, he will have time to take appropriate action. It is best on the part of the body from the side of the road, at the level of the chest. I encourage you to use several reflectors. According to research, the best designation is one that shows human movement. We can mark arms and legs at knee level, because in this way we will be even more recognizable to drivers - explains Radish, instructor at Skoda Auto School.

A penalty of up to PLN 100 is foreseen for the lack of glare, and its purchase should be treated as an investment in its security. Let us not limit ourselves only to the situations described by the regulations, because the reflection can save lives in the city, on a poorly lit road. Let us also remember to take a reflective vest in the car and if we just leave the vehicle, let us put it on. It is true that law does not require this, but no one would drop us from thinking and taking care of our safety. Let us be visible, use reflections.

A safe cyclist with reflective vest on the road

On Thursday morning, the police in safety vest, together with the mayor, Kaminski, inaugurated the campaign "Safe cyclist on the way to work.” "Safe cyclist on the way to work" is a joint effort for the safety of cyclists organized by the Traffic Department of the Pavia Police Headquarters and the Municipal Office in Logics.

Today, on April 19, from 6.00 am to 8.00 am, police officers from the road club focused their activities in those areas, where in the morning the most cyclists who commute to work on their single-track vehicles appear.

The aim of the activities is to improve safety on the roads of unprotected road users by increasing their visibility. On this day, cyclists encountered received hi vis vests, funded by the city authorities, which were handed out to Krzysztof Kaminski and the head of the Road Traffic Department to the poke.

Vests significantly increase visibility, and thus the safety of cyclists on the road. It should be remembered, however, that the reflective vest does not release from the obligation of proper lighting and bicycle equipment. Spring has come, which encourages cycling trips, so it is worth taking care of it to travel safely - we read in the police communication.

Policemen in safety vest checked more than five hundred cars

In the territory of the Ricans District, 56 men of law (35 traffic and 21 police officers) focused on motorists and cyclists from Monday to Friday. TRANSPORT SECURITY ACTIONS were last week focused on cyclists and motorists. In the picture, Hanna, a spokesperson of the police station, gives the cyclist a reflective tape.

They have selected fines for about seventy thousand crowns. Within the framework of a national transport event on the roads and their territory, the event took place in connection with the accident in the territory of our country. "The police have focused on risky groups of road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle drivers," said Hanna, spokesperson of the police.

It was also responsible for adhering to the traffic regulations of motor vehicle drivers, adherence to specified speeds, the use of safety belts and child restraint systems, and driving.

Law enforcement officers in reflective vest reviewed 512 vehicles and found 133 transgressions in traffic. "Most of the misdemeanors (125) were solved on the spot in block proceedings, with a total value of almost seventy thousand crowns," concluded Kraft.

Keep reflective vest in snow days

Obligatory cleaning of cars from ice and snow, pedestrians with reflective vest and the possibility to ride a cyclist even on a full line - these are the changes that the amendment to the Road Traffic Act wants to bring. We have released some planned rules for cyclists, said MF DNES chief BESIP Martin.

What sanctions do pedestrians do when they do not have reflective material, and drivers in the case of an unclean car from snow and ice?

In the case of non-cleaned vehicles, there is a penalty of up to two thousand crowns in place, in the case of administrative proceedings up to CZK 2,500. As far as the pedestrian duty is concerned, there will also be sanctions there, but there is mainly an accident investigation on steps. That makes it easier for decision-makers to make decisions.

Must it be a duty to clear snow and ice from a car strictly defined in the law, if, according to our debaters, it can be penalized for this day? Is not it unnecessary denial of drivers?

I read the posts in the discussion under the article and I think that one who cleans the car and does not have a problem with it must say that it is nonsense because we are introducing a thing that is clear. However, just such a person does not limit the amendment. And the person who does not do that should learn from it and take the best of it. This is not about doing something to anyone. It is the result of a work that is based on a practice where there has always been a discussion whether snow and ice on the car are all right or not.

Of course, it is said that the instrument is in the law, but the police have a big problem in enforcing it. If it is precisely defined what is to be done with the vehicle before the ride, such as scraping the windows to provide a good view of the vehicle, which is one of the most important elements of active safety, it is absolutely well-founded. It is very unpleasant to drive a vehicle in front of you in winter, which has a higher layer of snow on the roof and gradually drops off at higher speeds. And because there was a discussion about whether the driver is in the way of looking at the fragrant tree on the mirror or something else at the window, then I personally think that a strict definition will help what we all want, and that is to make the operation safer and keeping the road safety.

I would like to emphasize that all these are just considerations because it is not a law signed by the President, but a proposal in inter-departmental proceedings. Therefore, it is not a loose coin, and the other thing is whether it will finally come out in the law.

Do you want to be seen at night

The new technology with reflective material called "Bio-Motion" shifts people's night visibility to the next level. The principle is to illuminate not only your outline but also your movements.

As has been said many times, statistically most accidents due to poor visibility occur in moments of dimming. The main reason is both poor visibility and gradual decrease of visibility. If there is added any glare by setting the sun, the problem is taken care of.

Flashing lights, reflective safety vests and similar elements are certainly a great tool, but the future lies in something called "biological moves." It is already customary to take a reflective strap on your leg and hand for an evening ride on a bike or run. There is, however, a new product that brings together all of these protective elements together.

The product called Nano Meter 555 Milder is equipped with 20 strategically positioned reflection points to perfectly visualize your movements. In addition, ideal colors are chosen for this outfit for better visibility even in daylight. The driver is so able to determine within 0.25 seconds that a person is moving in front of him. On the other hand, if you are only wearing a reflective vest, this time is growing very fast, even for a few seconds. This difference in the speed of recognition of a living person, for example on a road, may be key at certain times.