The best idea of summer is wear the reflective vest as a co-pilot

The issue of the compulsory use of the reflective vest has been used for confusions, badly taken parts and people who walk with the safety element put, of pure psychosis.

The demand is such that the vests, which used to cost no more than 2,000 pesos, are now sold for up to 8,000. Near the Moggs neighborhood, in Biscayan Guerrero with Gerbera, about 50 people lined up to buy reflective safety vests in bulk. The importer closed almost immediately because, according to them, there was no stock.

"They want to raise prices from 1,300 to 2,500 pesos, they have stock, and they have them there, to raise the price," said one of the merchants who went to buy. There are people from other cities in Chile who spent the night waiting to buy.

One of the best ideas that have emerged is to wear the vest in the passenger's high visibility vest. Several taxi drivers wear it to avoid being stopped by Carabineros and asked about this garment and other mandatory items such as the emergency kit and the emergency wheel.

Drivers receive reflective vests

The decree, which makes the incorporation of this element mandatory in the safety kit of private cars, trucks, taxis and other motorized vehicles, will come into force on January 1. Drivers receive reflective vests that will be of mandatory use from January 1

A massive delivery of reflective retro vests to drivers made this afternoon the National Traffic Safety Commission with the Chilean Safety Association and the Automobile Club of Chile, as a way to promote its use and disseminate this element among drivers since, as of January 1, it will be mandatory to incorporate the safety kit of all motor vehicles.

Authorities and executives moved to O'Higgins Park to deliver this type of vests to the Union of Truck Drivers, the National Confederation of Truck Owners. As well as private motorists who circulate nearby. The Executive Secretary of Cohasset, Gabriela, explained that a driver is exposed to suffer an accident when he descends from his vehicle because of a technical failure, especially if the emergency occurs in low light or at night.

Faced with this situation, a decree of the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications will enter into effect, making the wearing of a reflective safety vest compulsory on the vehicle, in order to make the driver more visible in the event that he must descend from the vehicle to attend a situation of emergency. "The lack of visibility is the main factor that affects the occurrence of the abuses in low-light hours, so we are promoting the use of reflective material to protect people's lives and prevent accidents," said the professional.

The high visibility vest must contain both fluorescent and retro reflective material, and must always be carried in a location on the vehicle that is accessible from inside, such as the glove box, in order to get the driver off the vehicle wearing already the vest.

For its part, the specialist in the Transport and Logistics Sector of ACHS pointed out the institution concerned about the safety of the country's workers. They want to make a call to all employers, regardless of the size of the company or the type of activity that they carry out. Since this new regulation on the mandatory carrying of reflective vest in every vehicle, is a measure that comes to protect the workers that due to their activity they must drive, whether they are professional drivers or not.

In the last ten years, more than 6,000 people have been killed in Chile and in 2014 alone, 615 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. This figure corresponds to 38% of the total number of deaths nationwide. According to international experiences, the use of reflective elements significantly reduces the number of abuses. The infraction for not carrying the vest in the car will constitute a slight fault, which translates into a fine of 0.2 to 0.5 UTM.

Check the fine for not wearing the reflective vest in the car

It is mandatory that it be yellow, as well as must have bands of retro reflective material. From January 1 on all vehicles must be worn with a reflective vest, measure that seeks to reduce traffic accidents and collisions of drivers when they get off the car.

Those who do not comply with the regulations will be committing a minor offense and will have to pay a fine that varies between 0.2 to 0.5 UTM (UTM value in December, $ 44,955). In order to comply with the law, it is necessary to be clear about the characteristics of the vest that must be worn.

Characteristics of the vest

- Yellow fluorescent material

-It must have bands of retro reflective material with a width greater than 50mm

-The vest must be in a place accessible from inside the vehicle, so that the driver who gets off the car does so with this reflective element.

According to the decree, these are the alternatives can be used:

-Two horizontal bands bordering the torso separated by a minimum distance of 50mm and bands that joins the upper band of the torso from front to back, passing through each shoulder.

-A horizontal band is that surrounds the torso, and bands that join that from front to back over each shoulder. The 50mm distance should also be maintained.

-Two horizontal bands are surrounding the torso, separated by a minimum distance of 50 mm. The lower part of the lower band must be at a minimum distance of 50 mm from the lower edge of the high visibility vest.

The safety activity of reflective safety vest

Local Police joins the campaign of the DGT surveillance of damaged vehicles and use of reflective safety vest.

As indicated by the Citizen Security Delegation of Cordoba City Council, the reason for this joint campaign with the DGT is that all users of the road are aware that "prevention and prudence is not only important during circulation, but also in case of stop before a possible breakdown, by accident, or by decision of the driver ".

In this case, and in order to "guarantee the safety of the users" it is "essential", as detailed, to bear in mind the obligation to carry in the vehicle "two hazard warning triangles and at least one high visibility reflective vest", and to use said measures in case of stop, breakdown or accident.

The Touring urge to respect rules and traffic signals

As every year, the long Easter holiday many families take advantage of to travel to different national and international destinations. In order to do so as safely as possible, from the Touring and Automobile Club recommend: Travel rested, check the status of the vehicle; maintenance, calibration of the wheels, condition of the lights, brake fluid and coolant. Make sure that all passengers wear a seat belt and safety vest.

Keep a prudent distance to the nearest vehicle, travel with the lights on, rest every two hours or 200 kilometers, avoid that any object is loose, whether they are equipment of mate, telephones or others.

In the case of documentation, it is recommended to have a driver's license according to the type of vehicle, identity card, identification card of the vehicle, insurance policy (green card for border crossing of light vehicles up to 5 passengers), municipal authorization per day, and the patent or sheet must be visible on the vehicle.

They also recommended having the mandatory reflective elements of the vehicle such as the current fire extinguisher (well fastened) within reach of the driver, two portable beacons, well-calibrated spare wheel, adjustment key and hydraulic jack. It is also recommended to bring a first aid kit and reflective vest and mortuary sheet, mandatory in MERCOSUR countries.

Municipality acquired new bicycles with safety equipments

In what was described as a new step towards the sustainable mobility of the commune, the mayor Eduardo Soto in safety clothing gave the official go to this innovative program that proposes to replace the use of the car and promote the network of bikeways in the city.

The building house of Rancagua has about 9 buildings distributed in different points of the commune; all of them accessible through the more than 54 kilometers of bikeways that the regional capital holds. With the foregoing in mind, it is that the mayor Eduardo Soto together with the Secretary of Community Planning, Raimondi Agility, promoted the idea that their officials could move between these points through the use of bicycles.

With an investment of close to 10 million pesos, the municipality acquired 25 new bicycles with a unique design and with all the available safety equipment (helmet, padlocks, lights and even a reflective vest), which will start this pilot in the municipal building of Plaza Heroes. Moreover, that will soon be replicated in the rest of the institutional establishments setting an unquestionable precedent in terms of the use of ecological and efficient mobility alternatives promoting gradually healthy living and exercise.

On the unprecedented initiative, Eduardo Soto pointed out that after consolidating Rancagua's cycle path network and delivering more than 500 bicycles to different educational establishments. "Today we are in the next stage of being able to use this alternative and sustainable means of transport with our municipal officials of so that many of the trips they make between one building and another and especially those working in the CDC touring the towns and villages can join this campaign called "A pedaling through Rancagua", "he said.

Raimondi Agility, Secretary of Community Planning of the municipality of Rancagua and confessed cyclist, highlighted this new advance in the use of the bicycle and especially in what translates to take a car off the street and replace it with a self-propelled vehicle. "This investment allows convert 25 less cars on the street, that is, 25 officials promoting sustainable mobility to the community and within the same municipality.”

As for those who will make use of modern bicycles and safety equipments, Francisco, sectionalist SECPLAC said, "We are proud to see as a municipality can do powerful and innovative things and we also hope that this will motivate other municipalities to take this witness and advance in this same line of generating alternatives to the automobile.”

Safety vest mandatory in Germany since July

Since 1 July, it is mandatory to have at least one reflective safety vest in the car in Germany. This measure applies to motorists, truck and bus drivers.

The safety vests must be stored within easy reach, so not in the trunk. The ANWB advises you to take a safety vest in the car for all occupants.

In commercially used vehicles (including foreign ones), a safety vest must already be present for every occupant. The high visibility vest is not required for motorcyclists and motor home drivers.

The vests are already mandatory in several other European countries, such as Belgium, France, Austria, Spain and Italy. Those who cannot show the reflective vest after 1 July after a check risk a fine of € 15.00. Curious about what else you should have with you in the car in Germany?