107 motorcyclists without safety vest died on the highway

107 motorcyclists died on the highway in the first half of 2017 without any safety vest, which is equivalent to 44.5% of the total deaths recorded in traffic accidents in that period. According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT), between January 1 and June 30 there were 240 deaths in road mishaps, an average of 40 per month.

For the Traffic Police, the education and good sense of the drivers is vital to diminish those figures. "We cannot do more than what is humanly possible, such as sanctioning, advising, and educating through media campaigns. The other part of the equation corresponds to each person, to their own love and common sense," said Sonia Monger, deputy director of that body police.

The official added that, in the case of motorcyclists, it is vital that the helmet and reflective devices are on, as well as that they respect the speed limits.

In six months, the Transit fined 2,432 drivers of those vehicles for driving without a helmet, 1,429 because the companions did not carry that safety device and 2,888 for not wearing clothes or a reflective vest.

The number of deaths on motorcycles during the first six months of this year exceeds the statistics recorded in the same period of 2016, when the authorities accounted for 97 deaths. The projection of the Traffic Police is to close 2017 with 480 deaths in traffic accidents, 32 more than in the entire last year, when there were 448.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Traffic accidents left 448 deaths in 2016

"With an average of 40 deaths per month in the first semester of 2017, one might think that at the end of the year we could have 480 deaths, but the work of the Traffic Police will be clearly focused on lowering the figures as much as possible," said Monger. The main cause of fatal accidents on the road is speed abuse, with 69 fatalities, followed by the imprudence of drivers; many of them not wear the high visibility vest, with 51.

A meritorious behavior with a reflective vest

There is an urgent need for an information campaign on how to overtake a group of cyclists, since ignorance of the norm is greater the older the drivers.

I was driving with my car last Sunday on the PO-308 road and I passed by Covelo, around two in the afternoon. An unexpected retention alerted me. An accident had just happened. No health services had arrived, not even the Civil Guard or even Civil Protection. Only a person with a reflective safety vest in the middle of the road, with an exceptionally meritorious behavior, made signs to us to the vehicles that we circulated towards Monteverdi so that we did not stop before the scene of a person under a car, covered with a blanket, to the one that surrounded other neighbors. Road to the capital and shocked by that fleeting image, passed in the opposite direction, to the scene of the incident, a first ambulance, then another medical zed, then two civil guards on a motorcycle and almost reaching Enrique, the traffic jam team.

How many more deaths will have to occur on the roads for the institutions to face implementing measures that mean an effective reduction of windings to cyclists?

I am afraid that they will dislike as much as I do know that in 2015, 42 cycling fans died, practicing their sport, five of them in Galicia. In addition, in 2016 the cyclists who died in Spain were 33. I did not find the specific data of Galicia, but we all remember the most famous case, the winding that a driver produced to a squad of cyclists, with 2 fatalities and half a dozen wounded. Since then the authorities, particularly both the DGT and the Junta Galicia promised various measures to quell this type of accident. Of all of them, hardly the distribution of reflective vests to cyclists will have begun among some groups of fans of pedal sports. However, performances of greater packaging do not appear.

Urge a campaign to raise awareness and information to drivers about what the rule prescribes: you have to observe a safety distance of one and a half meters to overtake a cyclist and it can be done by invading the opposite lane and in a continuous line as long as there is no traffic car in front. Saving that safe distance is not a whim. Any overtaking that you do not observe carries a risk, because the air generated by the vehicle when it passes the cyclist may displace or knock it down.

Novice drivers are soaked with that knowledge from the driving school. The young and middle-aged keep this rule in mind thanks to being more porous to information. The severe problem is with drivers of very advanced ages. It is not a coincidence that the coiling author last Sunday in Covelo is 82 years old, or that the author of the Oil cyclist squad in March 2016 was 87 years old.

Collectives such as Stop Accidents Galicia have repeatedly claimed that after 65 years, drivers are forced to a recycling that entails relearning the regulations. The cycling collectives such as Monteverdi and all those that move hundreds of fans every weekend or holidays, have been crying for years to launch a campaign so that drivers in safety clothing know how to overtake a group of cyclists.

Also, the institutions announced that as much for this casuistry as for the eruption of older drivers on highways and motorways in the opposite direction, the tests of the psychotherapist required for the renewal of the card would be hardened. Unfortunately, the statistics do not yet reflect a corrective effect.

Man not wearing reflective vest dies run over on highway

The victim had descended from his van to fix a mechanical malfunction without wearing any reflective vest, but was hit by a truck. In addition, the fact led to the collision of two more vehicles.

A multiple collision occurred during the night on the Vespucci highway, leaving a 35-year-old man dead.

As confirmed by Carabineers, the victim had descended from his van to fix a technical malfunction, but he did so without wearing the reflective yellow vest.

The fact caused the collision with a truck, which would not have seen the stopped machine, pressing it next to the wall of the route dying instantaneously.

Subsequently, a minor vehicle and other buses affected the area, leaving a balance of six injured with injuries of varying consideration. Police in safety vest go to deal with the accident immediately.

The useful things to bring in the car

If you go on a road trip, do you know exactly the elements that, as a rule of Traffic, you must carry in your car to drive? In addition to this mandatory safety equipment, we also recommend other accessories that may be very useful for your safety.

The cars have to carry some elements that are obligatory and that always have to be in the vehicle in case we should need them at some time. In addition, it is advisable to carry other accessories that in case of emergency can get you out of trouble.

Mandatory equipment

Two portable approved hazard-signaling devices (so-called, by their shape, triangles).

A high visibility reflective vest also approved. It is advisable that the vest is inside the passenger compartment (not in the trunk), so you can wear it before getting off the car.

The wheel can be of normal size, auxiliary (cookie wheels), or be replaced by an safety kit. Tools needed to change the wheel. Remember that it is compulsory, to travel in certain places, to carry a set of chains (whether metallic or textile) or winter tires. If the vehicle is public transport, mixed or merchandise, or a maximum authorized mass of more than 3,500 kg, you must carry an extinguisher.

Moreover, is the car insurance, glasses and spare lights?

Since the last reform of the Traffic Law came into effect, it is no longer necessary to carry additional glasses in the car, or to include the car insurance receipt between the documentation papers. The traffic agents can consult the informative file of insured vehicles (FIVA), to check if the vehicle has insurance in order. However, although it is not mandatory, our advice is that you include the proof of insurance payment with the rest of the vehicle's documentation and some spare glasses. It costs nothing and can avoid problems if you forget your glasses or, for whatever reason, the existence of the insurance did not appear or it was possible to connect to this computerized file at the time to obtain the information.

As for the replacement lamp set, it is not mandatory either, just like the high visibility vest. There are more and more cars with Xenon or LED lights (replacement can only be done in a professional workshop) and, with respect to "normal" bulbs, it is becoming more and more complicated to disassemble them.

Get out of the car and do not need to wear the reflective vest

In this second season, the picturesque Xavier Sale is demonstrating a fantastic progression. Now his colorful Americans have gained in phosphorescence and luminosity. In the event of a nighttime car breakdown, they are ideal: you get out of the car and do not need to wear the reflective vest. The themes he develops are also presenting them with a much more impressive exhibition punch. His love for being original and eater to the staff advances.

In the first installment, he launched the question: Does Leo Messy charge too much. It did not finish defining itself or clarifying it, but it launched a colossal idea: if 200 million people in the world see and enjoy every goal that Leo does, they should pay one euro each, just as when they enjoy the pleasure of having a cup of coffee. That is, Messy should enter, on average, 200 million Euros a week. Oh! I do not know if the idea is going to prosper, but certainly in Leo's house reigns considerable joy.

This week, this iridescent economist has explained to us the truth of what happened between David and Goliath. It turns out that Goliath suffered gigantism. He was huge with wear safety clothing, heavy, and not very agile, a brain tumor that imprisoned his optic nerve. He was more myopic than Mango. He thought that they would fight in a hand-to-hand fight, but the cunning David changed the rules: instead of fighting in infantry plan, he did it as an artilleryman. Goliath received the stone practically without knowing who was in front of him.

Oh! It is an ingenious theory. Room Martin in yellow vest said he had learned it from Malcolm Glad well. I know the books of this journalist, currently in 'The New Yorker'. It has a barbarous success. His hypothesis on 'David & Goliath', which has been best-selling book, presented, in 2013, at the Ted Salon in New York. His intervention is on YouTube. It takes four million visits. The prodigious thing is how Sale has memorized it. It has mimicked even Glad well’s intonation and pauses.

José wear reflective vest protect children on road

The 'semaphore man' of Quito has spent 20 years regulating the traffic of the N-232 to the hours of entry and exit of the school. Today he receives a tribute.

The children greet José Maria Garcia 'Machala' while he, without taking his eyes off the road, checks that the vehicles have stopped when they reach the zebra crossing located next to the entrance to the school Fernando, which he has been attending five times a day for the past 20 years. In all this time, he has only missed his appointment in "very few occasions.” "If someday I do not come, people miss me," he said. Dressed in a reflective vest, and with the help of a stop sign, warns drivers to stop when they travel on the N-232 national road to allow children to cross. "I am delighted and I am doing it because I love my people very much, and I will be there as long as I can," he explained, while continuing to monitor the traffic.

To recognize their selfless work, the City Council and the association of mothers and fathers of the school have organized this afternoon a tribute at the house of culture. Most of them are wearing the high visibility vest. It will be an emotional act, which will coincide with his 73th birthday, in which he will be give details of the children, an audiovisual project will be screen, and there will be "some surprise.” Next, you will also discover the plaque that has been place in the place that bears his name, and which was decide after a popular consultation in which there was a great deal of the neighbors. The mayor, Morales, stressed, "If someone deserves this recognition, it is Machala." Not only in Fifth, know his work. Many people who travel through the crossing has met once with the 'traffic light man': "It is already a typical image of Quito.”

José Maria was a municipal worker and decided to continue providing this retired service: "Many cars and heavy trucks pass through this national highway,” which is a way to increase the safety of pedestrians, said the local official.

Of the same opinion they were shown yesterday afternoon at the doors of the school Maria Pillar and Susana, grandmother and mother of students, who acknowledged and appreciated their task: "We are much calmer knowing that he is here stopping the cars. The children pay much attention to him; he is a very dear person in the locality and with wearing a yellow vest.” It is usual to see him minutes before school entry and exit times, but he also collaborates to regulate traffic if there is any exit from the students.

Recommendations for safe driving in the rainy season

In this season of climate change that is living in Bogotá with heavy rains, you must wear a safety vest and take extra precautions when driving and respecting the speed limits, whether you are traveling by car or motorcycle.

1. Moderate speed

Remember that it is always vital to regulate the speed and respect the speed limits that are set in urban areas that are 80 kilometers per hour as established by the national traffic code. However, remember that when the asphalt gets wet it becomes too smooth and difficult handling maneuvers, so it is recommended to drive at a speed of 40 or 30 kilometers per hour.

2. Keep the lights on

The rain makes it difficult to visualize the road and identify what is found in its surroundings; therefore, you must keep the lights on, thus helping your visibility and that of other drivers. For motorcyclists, it is advisable, apart from keeping the lights on, to have the reflective vest so that they become more visible on the road.

3. Save the distance between vehicles

It is important to maintain a prudent distance between the cars. When it is raining the traffic becomes slow, but in the same way, it is prudent to keep the distance between vehicles. It is recommended to maintain no less than one meter of distance between the cars, this will allow braking without problem in any emergency.

4. Check the electrical system

When the rain becomes too strong it is very important to have good glass cleaning, that have a correct operation in their engines to be more effective cleaning the windshield, and it is recommended to change the pens of these with certain periodicity depending on the use. Likewise, the heating and air conditioning system must be maintained in perfect condition, since these diminish the glasses of the vehicle fogging up.

5. Check the tires

It is necessary to verify that the pressure of the tires is the corresponding one, since this influences the grip or the adherence of the vehicle on the asphalt. Remember that tires also lose their ability to grip when they fail to drain the liquid they receive, so you must slow down until you feel that the ability to grip returned to normal.

Keep these recommendations in mind to reduce incidents and accidents when driving in this rainy season. Keep the road safety is also keep your safe.