Features of reflective clothing, what requirements are imposed on it

In the evening, visibility on the roads is significantly reduced, especially in bad weather conditions (rain, snow, fog). This entails a number of negative consequences: an increase in the level of danger for pedestrians on the roadway, an increase in the frequency of accidents involving them. How to protect yourself from the possibility of getting injured, how to save your life? It is not difficult to do this, you just need to become visible to every driver. For this, there is reflective clothing, which will help you not to remain unnoticed in the dark.

What is it

To ensure your safety when crossing the road at night, it is best to use reflective tapes,reflectors for clothing or choose a special one reflective clothing. Such accessories are simply irreplaceable for children, because their short stature makes it difficult for the driver to see them. They are also very relevant for road workers who carry out repair work directly on the roadway, which means they can be injured by an inattentive driver.

Also, such products are often sewn directly onto the clothes of athletes: cyclists, skateboarders, rollerbladers on the roadway, in poorly lit areas, outside the city, village. Reflectors and reflective clothing glow in the dark when a beam of light from a car headlight falls on the surface of the product. The person becomes noticeable to the driver, therefore the risk of a collision, a fatal accident is significantly reduced.

According to experts, when driving a car with low beams, the driver can notice a pedestrian at a distance of 25 m. If a person uses special clothing or sews special stripes with a reflective effect to it, he can be noticed on the roadway at a distance of 50 m.

If we consider the speed of the driver's reaction, then the conducted international studies have revealed the following. On average, a driver needs 2 seconds to react to an obstacle. But during this period of time, the car can travel about 50 m, which means that without luminous elements on clothing, a person can be hit by a car. With reflective elements A tragic outcome can be avoided, since the driver's reaction time is doubled.

Such accessories are worn on clothes during the dark time of day. There is no strictly regulated time, but from the point of view of logic, the dark time of day is interpreted as the moment from sunset to sunrise. In addition, it is worth using products in bad weather, which reduces the visibility of a pedestrian for a driver. Clothing with a reflective effect should be worn by road workers during repair work on the roadway, and by traffic controllers when performing duties at intersections.

Existing options

There are several ways to use reflective elements:

• textile tape with reflective stripes. The material is made in various colors, is durable, long-lasting, resistant to fire and frost, ultraviolet radiation, precipitation. It is quite cheap, so anyone can afford to trim a jacket with such products. The only thing that is important to know when choosing a reflective tape: it can have a different coefficient of light reflection;
• reflective patches for children and adults. They are fixed on the wrist or shoulder if a person goes outside in the dark. Such products can have an interesting design;
• special clothing with a reflective effect. Jackets, vests, trousers with special inserts made of reflective material allow look more visible on the road in the dark. This can increase the level of safety for road repair workers and traffic patrol workers.

Requirements of the law

The Russian Federation Traffic Regulations require pedestrians to wear reflective clothing at night when moving along or across the roadway outside of a populated area. Otherwise, the traffic police officer has the right to fine a person 500 rubles, as stated in Article 12.29 of the Russian Federation Administrative Code. This rule was introduced on July 1, 2015. Similar rules are in effect in other countries, for example, in Belarus, Estonia, and the United States. However, the fine will be justified only if the following conditions are met:

• the pedestrian was moving in the dark, in conditions of insufficient visibility, outside the boundaries of a populated area along or across the road;
• Visibility from the driver's seat was not good enough due to weather conditions: rain, snow, hail, fog.

In the future, the State Duma plans to oblige pedestrians who cross the road or along the roadway at night within the boundaries of a populated area to do the same. But when such a norm will come into effect is not yet known.

However, to be fair, we should add that the introduction of fines for unwillingness to have reflective elements on clothing has not ensured the universal use of clothing with a reflective effect outside populated areas. People often neglect their safety at night, thereby breaking the law. And all because it is extremely difficult to prove the absence of special clothing on a pedestrian in an accident.

Let us note one more fact: the interpretation of the concept of “dark time of day” is quite broad, since each person has their own individual characteristics of perception of the traffic situation. It is determined by the illumination of the road, weather conditions, the presence of lighting devices in the car itself, the quality of the driver's vision. For this reason, you should not be afraid of a fine, instead it is better to think about how to ensure safety for yourself and your loved onesThis can be done with reflective clothing, which is recommended to be worn from sunset to sunrise, especially in rain, fog and snow.

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