January 2021 - Reflective fabric

ADAC promotes visibility for cyclists and pedestrians

The dark season has started. Pedestrians and cyclists in particular are difficult to see for drivers. The ADAC will therefore be promoting “Safety through Visibility” from November 17th.

The “Visibility Days” run from Tuesday to Thursday (November 17-19). With many campaigns – including in Potsdam and the Linthe Driving Safety Center – the ADAC is aimed at pedestrians and cyclists so that they pay more attention to be easily visible to motorists in the dark.

Advertising for reflective materials

The ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg supports the national day of the third year in row visibility that the “Network traffic safety Brandenburg” and “Forum Traffic Safety of the State of Brandenburg initiated in 2018 for the first time.” He would like to explain that pedestrians and cyclists can actively do something for their safety by wearing reflective materials.

In the state of Brandenburg, around 3,000 people have an accident every year with bicycles and 850 as pedestrians. Accidents often happen because pedestrians or cyclists are not seen or seen too late. According to the ADAC, your risk of accidents increases three times at dusk and night.

ADAC enough giveaways in Potsdam from

Reflective materials – whether as a safety vest, clack tape, or trailer – but also functioning bicycle lights and spoke reflectors can significantly improve visibility. The ADAC is sufficient in its branch in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Fritz-Zubeil-Straße 95, and in the driving safety center Berlin-Brandenburg in Linthe, Am Kalkberg 6 Reflector material.

Darkness: “50 traffic accidents avoidable”

According to the police, up to 50 serious accidents with pedestrians, each year in Salzburg could be avoided if people had dressed in lighter colors or even wore a safety vest. Even a small reflector on clothing can be seen from 150 meters away.

Seen or not seen – this question can make the difference between life and death on the road during the cold season when the days are short and the nights long. It was not until mid-November that a dark-clad pensioner was overlooked by a moped driver and fatally injured.

According to the Salzburg traffic police, between 30 and 50 accidents per year could be avoided with appropriate clothing and behavior that is adapted to the dark. “Serious accidents don’t always happen, but there are many near-accidents and evasive maneuvers, which in turn lead to accidents. The decisive factor for me is that these accidents could be avoided very easily if one behaved accordingly,” says Friedrich Schmidhuber of the Salzburg traffic police.

Dressed in dark: visible up to 25 meters away

According to traffic experts, pedestrians dressed in dark clothing can be seen up to a maximum of 25 meters in time at night. Light-colored clothing or neon colors barely double this distance, but only with reflective material are passers-by up to 140 meters visible.

Police: Older people have some catching up to do

While this has worked for young people for years, adults have some catching up to do here. “Older people in particular massively underestimate this risk. Also, dark clothing is often worn, which makes the situation even worse,” says Schmidhuber. Often pedestrians would not be aware of the fact that outside a local area it is mandatory to use the left side of the street or, if available, the banquet.

Tip: light-colored clothing, safety vests, warning tapes

According to the police, it would be easy to be seen by drivers even in the dark. The police recommend consciously wearing light-colored clothing in the dark months and putting reflective vests or reflective tapes on the upper arms.

Biker checks will continue in Luxembourg

The police presented an initial assessment of their two-wheeler control campaign. It also announces the continuation of the operation.

In one month, from June 20 to July 19, the Luxembourg police carried out nearly 2,600 two-wheeler checks. About 600 offenses resulted.

Among the discrepancies observed, the police counted 85 speeding violations and 60 queuing up during a traffic jam or slow traffic. About thirty motorcyclists rode their bikes with a helmet that was not approved and 100 had a lighting fault on their two-wheelers. There are also 80 cases of too noisy exhaust and 72 motorcyclists who circulate without having a reflective vest.

“Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable road users” because they are less protected than a motorist when traveling, details the police.

Checks will continue throughout the summer, especially on sections of road heavily used by two-wheelers, the authorities say.

“Be an example and a reflection”

“Be an example and a reflection” – this is how the association of Korzenna Active for Development encourages pedestrians to use reflective elements. This is another initiative on this matter. “We decided to do so because there are still very few pedestrians wearing reflective elements,” explains Andrzej Bobakowski, president of the association.

Slogans indicating the need to wear reflective elements were placed on several banners that were hung in public places in Korzenna. The town was chosen not by accident because it is the center of the commune through which the most inhabitants pass.

So far, the association has already distributed hundreds of reflective vests, and on some municipal roads, there are racks with vests, demonstrating how they significantly improve the visibility of pedestrians.

In the absence of a significant increase in the number of pedestrians using reflective vests or other reflective elements, it was decided to remind pedestrians again that it is worth following these recommendations. “It’s hard to understand why we don’t do it en masse. Today, almost everyone is a driver and knows perfectly well how a vest improves visibility. Unfortunately, as pedestrians, we rarely follow these safety rules,” comments the president of the Active for Development association. The initiators hope that the action promoting pedestrian safety step by step will bring better and better results.

Police distributed reflectors to pedestrians and cyclists

The police from Tomaszów handed out reflectors to pedestrians and cyclists. Recently, there have been several accidents in the Tomaszów involving unprotected road users who did not have reflectors, hence the police call to wear them.

The autumn and winter period is characterized by rapidly falling dusk, changing weather conditions, and limited visibility. All this means that the “unprotected” road users, especially pedestrians, are particularly exposed to danger.

That is why, on December 17, 2020, the policemen from Tomaszów, as part of provincial activities under the name of “Unprotected”, in cooperation with the County Office in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, handed out reflective vests to pedestrians and cyclists. Used, they will certainly increase the security level of their users.

For the sake of common safety, the policemen call for the wearing of reflective elements. The compulsory use of reflectors applies to all pedestrians walking in undeveloped terrain after dark. Reflectors significantly improve the visibility of a pedestrian and can save his life. A driver will notice a pedestrian wearing a vest with reflective tape or a reflective band much earlier.

2,500 SAFETY VESTS FROM AOK AND TRAFFIC WATCH

At the start of school, more than 2,500 safety vests were distributed by Verkehrswacht Rosenheim and AOK in Rosenheim to the first graders of the 54 primary schools in the city and district of Rosenheim. When the reflective safety throws were handed over to headmistress Siglinde Böhnel from the Pang elementary school, Rosenheim’s 2nd mayor Daniel Artmann thanked AOK Rosenheim and Verkehrswacht Rosenheim for their support: “In the dark and at dusk, the risk of accidents increases. With a safety vest, it can be reduced considerably for our smallest road users.”

For AOK director Gerhard Schöndorfer, it is about road safety: “We are very happy when our contribution helps to make the way to school safer for the smallest and most vulnerable participants in road traffic and to further reduce the number of accidents on the way to school.” The AOK cooperates at the action with the Bavarian State Traffic Watch. “Promoting traffic safety and avoiding traffic accidents – that is our aim and the so-called warning triangles make a significant contribution to this,” says Franz Polland from the traffic police in Rosenheim. Headmistress Siglinde Böhnel is also pleased that the AOK and the Bavarian State Transport Authority are providing first graders with reflective warning triangles this school year.

“The youth traffic school makes another important contribution to road safety, especially with the fourth year cycle training”, emphasizes Police Director Volker Klarner, head of the Rosenheim police station.

Contribution and photo: City of Rosenheim – from left: Thomas Unterlinner, responsible youth traffic education, 2nd Mayor Daniel Artmann, Franz Polland, 1st chairman of the traffic watch in Rosenheim, Siglinde Böhnel, headmistress of primary school Pang, AOK director Gerhard Schöndorfer, Volker Klarner, head of the police inspection Rosenheim.

Safety vest when cycling: you should know that

We’ll tell you everything you need to know about safety vests when riding a bike: whether it is compulsory, whether it reduces the risk of accidents, and what you should consider when buying.

In Germany, a safety vest is not mandatory

In 2018, 445 cyclists died in road accidents in Germany, compared with 382 in the previous year. To reduce the death rate for cyclists, the German government repeatedly debated whether it should be made mandatory for cyclists to wear helmets or safety vests. But neither is an obligation in Germany to this day.

It looks different in other neighboring European countries. There, for example, it is mandatory to wear a safety vest at night when visibility is poor. These countries include France, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, and Hungary.

That brings a safety vest when cycling

By wearing a safety vest as a cyclist, you are more visible in traffic. This is especially true in the dark or bad weather conditions.

However, this does not confirm that your accident risk will decrease. An investigation was carried out in Great Britain. The results were terrifying: while drivers overlook around 4 percent of pedestrians, drivers do not notice 22 percent of cyclists. Accidents often occur because the driver of the car is looking in the wrong direction, is distracted, or concentrating on a phone call. If this causes an accident, a reflective vest can ultimately do nothing.

Also, many drivers overtake cyclists too close and do not keep the safety distance of 1.5 meters from the bike. A reflective vest only contributes a few centimeters in favor of the safety distance.

You should pay attention to this when buying a safety vest

Since you put on your safety vest as the last “piece of clothing”, make sure that it is big and wide enough. You should be able to wear a winter jacket or sweater underneath.

There is also a safety vest with Velcro. So you can easily open and close the safety vest.

The safety vest only shines through the light in the dark. It is important that the safety vest also has stripes so that it shines a little in a very dark environment. When buying a safety vest, orient yourself on the German (DIN EN 471: 2003 + A1: 2007) or the European standard (EN ISO 20471: 2013).

Over time and after several washes, the safety vest can wear out and lose its reflective effect. Therefore, replace them regularly.

A safety vest is also ideal for children on the way to school so that they can be noticed by other road users.

Practical: Buy a saddlebag in which you can stow the safety vest. Then you always have them to hand on your bike.

Note that a safety vest is only an addition to a roadworthy bicycle with bicycle lights.

More tips to reduce the risk of accidents

Try to get noticed with your bike in traffic. Pay attention to bright clothing, good lighting, and reflectors. Wear a safety vest in the twilight, at night, or in winter to be visible in traffic.
Wear a helmet when riding a bike. This can save your life if you fall.
Ride your bike defensively and with foresight. Expect that a driver may not recognize you or make a mistake.

INVISIBLE CYCLISTS IN THE SIGHTS OF THE POLICE

Since last week and at least until Friday 11 December, the police have been carrying out checks in Alençon to check the lighting of cyclists.

They would not respect the highway code, would take reckless risks, they would be called “new drivers”: some cyclists feel that they have been singled out and made to feel guilty. This is a police operation that is likely not to change their minds. In Alençon, the police organize checks to check that cyclists are well-lit. On social networks, everyone is nevertheless warned: “Your police officers will be more particularly attentive to the obligatory equipment of visibility. Warning: the helmet and the retro-reflective vest are not obligatory but strongly recommended” one indicates one.

57% of cyclists ride poorly lit

According to a survey by the Road Safety Authority dating from 2018, cyclists would be 57% to circulate at night in the city without suitable lighting. Proof that there is educational work to be carried out with the population who have adopted the little queen, particularly during the health crisis. Throughout 2019, according to figures from ONISR, the National Interministerial Road Safety Observatory, 65% of cyclists killed or injured in an accident were in a collision with a motor vehicle. Often, “it is a question of a bicycle mown by the rear by a motorist who was looking at his phone” analyzed at the time of the release of the study the association “My bike is a life”. In this type of case, good visibility of the cyclist is not sufficient to avoid the tragedy.

How to choose your reflective cycling vest?

Since 2016 and the law on the obligation to have safety vests in all vehicles, many businesses have offered poor quality safety vests. Inexpensive and inefficient materials, not necessarily aesthetic or very flattering and unsuitable for cycling.

European safety standards

To choose the right safety vest, several criteria must be taken into account. First of all, its compliance with European standards. The vest must meet the standard EN 1150, which governs high visibility clothing for non-professional use – or EN 471 which relates to professional clothing. This information can generally be found on a label affixed to the vest. If a user manual accompanies the BC, which contains the CE mark as well as the names and addresses of the manufacturer and the inspection body, there is a good chance that the BC is compliant. Note that this standard includes fluorescent yellow vests but also other fluorescent colors: green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, orange, or pink.

Product quality

Second criterion not to be neglected, the material. Some safety vests designed especially for 2-wheelers – bike and motorcycle are made with a stretch material that allows air to circulate through a breathable fabric. They adjust to the body and can and do close effectively with a conventional zipper. Machine washable, these safety vests are suitable for most sports and activities. Available from size XS to size XXXXL, you will find the waistcoat in your size, for children as well as for very large!

Usually suitable for adults, safety vests for children 0-6 and 6-12 are also available. These vests can be accompanied by other reflective accessories, such as self-attaching reflective armbands, light-up wristbands, or reflective pants. Thus equipped, the cyclist will be able to circulate serenely: he will be seen, and safer.