reflective vests Archives - Reflective fabric

Remember to clean the road after the passage of agricultural machinery

In wet periods, the passage of agricultural machinery can make the roads muddy, therefore slippery and dangerous. To limit the risks, it is necessary to report the site to the drivers and clean the road afterward. In the event of dirty work, also remember to check that the indicators, position lights, and rotating beacon are clean and in working order before resuming the road.

Obligation to clean the roads at the end of the work

As soon as the rainy days follow one another, when many tractors intervene on a plot, for example, to harvest corn, potatoes, or beets, the roads can become covered with mud at the exit of the plots. Cleaning them at the end of the work is a legal obligation.

If this mud is the cause of an accident, your liability may be incurred.

Article 1240 of the Civil Code stipulates that “any act whatsoever of man which causes damage to another obliges the person through whose fault he has arrived to repair it”. Even if the fault is not voluntary, not having cleaned the road at the end of your worksite makes you responsible for the slip, at the origin of the accident.

In the event of a dispute, the sentence may range from a fine of 1,500 to 3,000 €, about article R 116-2-4 of the Highway Code which punishes anyone who spreads harmful substances on the road. health and public safety. If the accident results in bodily injury, the fault is reclassified as an offense carrying the penalty of up to a fine of € 15,000 and imprisonment for one year. In the event of death, responsible agriculture incurs a fine of up to € 145,000 and 3 years’ imprisonment.

Report the risk

During the work, to limit the risk of accident, the law obliges to report the presence of mud, such as the exit of tractors or any other danger. You must position regulatory triangular panels 150 m before the site, in both directions of traffic. However, installing a panel does not release any liability and does not exempt from cleaning. But in the event of an appeal, the authorities will judge whether the right means have been implemented, the signs are part of it.

Clean at the end of the work

To limit the soiling of the road, if possible, choose the most favorable weather window. Depending on the configuration of the plot, take a secondary path or multiply the accesses, to avoid piles of mud in the same place.

If despite these precautions, mud is present on the pavement, it will have to be cleaned as soon as the site is finished, either manually (during this intervention, people on the pavement must of course wear a retro-reflective vest), or with a sweeper-type machine with a rubber bib.

The French parliament passed an anti-bullying law

The upper house of the French parliament, the Senate passed the anti-bullying bill that resonated.

In particular, it gives the right to local authorities to impose a ban on participation in demonstrations in relation to persons found to be riots in the course of previous

actions. Now the draft law must be signed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, approved the document on February 5. He was a response to the riots that accompanied the protest “yellow vests” in France.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the bill was aimed at strengthening public order and protecting protest participants.

On March 9, it became known that the 17th action of “yellow vests” in France gathered 28.6 thousand participants. This number was the lowest since the beginning of the movement.

In this case, the police reported the detention of 40 people in France as a whole, including 19 in Paris. Most of them are pogroms who have infiltrated the ranks of the protesters.

Mass demonstrations of “yellow vests” began in mid-November 2018 because of the authorities’ intention to raise the price of gasoline and diesel fuel. Demonstrators take to the streets in reflective vests, which are an attribute of French drivers.

In early December, the authorities met the protesters. They introduced a six-month moratorium on the increase in gasoline and fuel prices. Activists continued to protest, seeking also the resignation of Macron. He called the emergence of movement “a giant collective failure.”

Experts and police would welcome reflective elements in the communities

For nearly three years, pedestrians outside the village have to wear reflective vests at reduced visibility. Yet last year, 101 pedestrians died in traffic accidents, of which about a third were in the dark or fog in the village, where they do not have to wear reflective elements. Such a rule applies, for example, in Finland or Slovakia. In the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Transport is not considering it yet, although it would be welcomed by both police and experts.

“The states that introduced reflective elements before us, such as Finland, Estonia or Slovakia, also first introduced reflective elements outside the community. However, the development of traffic accidents clearly convinced them that it would be good to introduce them to municipalities. Around half of the pedestrians die in the dark in our country, in Finland, the measures have led to it being only 30 percent. In this respect, he has the most favorable statistics in the EU,” says Roman Budsky of the Road Safety Team.

Last year, 101 pedestrians died in the Czech Republic, 60 of them in the dark and at low visibility during the day when the rain or fog is raining. Over half of these sixty deaths hit a car in a village where reflective elements are not mandatory. According to Brodsky, they have a sense in these cases and clearly reduce the risk of tragic accidents.

“The reflective element should have a minimum effective dimension, which is basically a reflective tape that is sold or distributed at various traffic safety events. The ideal color is yellow-green, the spectrum on which the human eye is most sensitive. And if a pedestrian so marks, the driver should see him at some 150 to 200 meters. If he is dressed only in black clothes, it is some 20 or 30 meters,” he explains.

Such a measure would be supported by the police. “If this discussion is reopened, the Police of the Czech Republic supports the introduction of reflective supplements in these locations,” says traffic police chief Tomáš Lerch. However, the government’s legislative council cut a similar debate two years ago.

“In preparing the amendment to the Act that came into force in 2016, we discussed where the obligation to wear reflective tapes should be introduced everywhere. We agreed that it should be in a place where there is no pavement and where there is no public lighting. We also discussed whether it should be in the village or outside the village. Finally, it was decided by the lawmaker that this obligation was established outside the municipality,” he recalls.

The change is not going

However, the Ministry does not plan to change the rules. “We are not considering extending the obligation to carry elements in the village at this time. Significant are the riskiest situations that occur when moving a pedestrian outside the village,” says the Ministry of Transport spokeswoman Lenka Rezková.

According to Radiožurnál, the ministry does not want to burden people with another duty, even though it knows that it could help road safety. At least the resort recommends that pedestrians wear reflective elements at low visibility everywhere.

But it is not a binding rule, so nobody can follow it. On the other hand, outside the village in low visibility and at night, a pedestrian without reflective materials can get a fine of up to two thousand. However, accident statistics alone may be a bigger warning. Over the past 10 months, 90 pedestrians have died in traffic accidents. Thirteen more than the same period last year.

The rule on reflective vests for drivers came into force

When forced to stop at night outside the cities, drivers are now required to wear reflective vests. The relevant changes were made to the traffic regulations in December 2017 by a government decree

The new norm in the rules of the road, which obliges drivers to wear reflective vests when forced to stop at night outside settlements, takes effect from March 18, 2018.

The relevant government resolution was adopted on December 12, it said that the document entered into force 90 days after its official publication.

According to the decree, the driver is obliged to wear a reflective jacket, reflective vest or cape vest with stripes of reflective material when he wants to go to the side of the road or the roadway “in the event of a forced stop of a vehicle or an accident outside populated areas” at night.

These children made cuddles for the victims of accidents

“Misaki-Przytulaki” favorite toys of many children, arouse warm feelings and associate with carefree and pleasant things. That is why the “Misaki-Przytulaki” children donated by the children will be handed out to the youngest participants of road incidents and victims of domestic violence by the policemen to alleviate the stress.

Officers of the Poviat Police Headquarters. Robert Topolski and senior Sgt. Magdalena Ząbek met with children at the Center for Supporting Non-Governmental Organizations, where the youngest of the Świdniks spend their holidays. An indispensable element of such meetings is the education of children, especially in the field of safety during winter holidays but also safe behavior on the road.

The youngest of the Świdniks, who spend their holidays in Świdnica during the half-camp, invited the officers of the Świdnica commune yesterday and the Mayor of the City of Świdnica Beata Moskal-Słaniewska to joint classes.

Makonde. Robert Topolski during the meeting discussed the rules of safe winter fun, paying special attention to the risks posed by frozen water reservoirs. He reminded that during the game you cannot throw snowballs in moving cars, because it can lead to a traffic incident. During the conversation, he also warned against sliding down the slope directly to the street and before attaching sleds to the cars.

Out of concern for the safety of the youngest, the officers also reminded about the rules in force on the road and on the road. The youngest knew perfectly well that after dark they should wear reflective vests that would increase their safety.

At the end of the meeting, the youngest Swidnians gave the officers plush toys, which they made during the holidays themselves.

Officers of the Poviat Police Headquarters in Świdnica thanked the children for this unique gift.

All preventive actions taken in relation to children and adolescents are conducted within the framework of the provincial prevention program “Aware Junior”.

Not everything gold shines – reflections

As promised in the previous article, once a month we will post information about reflections for motorcyclists. For what? Increase your visibility and thus improve your safety. The time has come for news from the world of flares. The first question should be “how do flares work”?

Retro reflection is the principle on which glare works. It consists in the fact that the light (like car headlight) bounces off the reflective material and returns to its source. Reflective materials have such a structure that the light is reflected in a direction close to that from which it falls (not only when it falls perpendicularly). This structure is created by special elements placed on the material – glass microspheres or small acrylic prisms.

When describing these technical details, we had a specific goal. Since we already know how the reflectors work, the next question should be, do all the reflections “shine”? Unfortunately not. Only certified glare “shine”. There are two ways that will allow you to check whether your motorcycle reflections work:

Take a picture with your phone turned on with your reflections off at a distance of about 6m. If you see a characteristic flash in the picture, it means that your reflections are OK. After a few washes of your motorcycle clothing with reflective elements, do this again. If the picture has the same effect, it means that your reflections are of good quality. Unfortunately, it often happens that unproven reflections lose their qualities after several washes (fluorescent material and reflective tape lose their properties).

The second way is to remember this abbreviation – EN 471. If the reflections are certified, the label should indicate that the product made of materials that meet the EN 471 standard or the product meets the EN 471 standard.

How were the different reflections taken?

The creators of the Hen Visocznia campaign intentionally took pictures with a mobile phone with a flash so that everyone could do the test themselves. The warehouse where the photos were taken – the light is minimally entered through the windows above the model.

We have two types of photos:

The light coming through the window + fluorescent light;

Turned off fluorescent (imitation of semi-darkness).

The pictures show how different reflections are available on the market. It’s great that you want to ride in reflections. However, our article is to educate, what to look for when buying accessories with reflective elements.

What is the EN 471 standard?

High visibility warning clothing for professional (professional) use. The standard specifies the requirements for clothing visually signaling the presence of the user, to be seen and seen in hazardous conditions with daylight, and headlight. Specifies the visibility class of reflective, fluorescent material and the class of reflective material depending on its reflectivity factor.

This article contains some technical information about flares. Maybe a bit boring, but very important and worth remembering. Why are we writing about it? Because we met several times with the actions of many companies that wanted to promote their brand, handed out various reflections, most often reflective vests. The objectives of the campaign were lofty, but unfortunately, these vests were often not certified, they simply did not shine in artificial light (in the headlights of automobiles). So someone in Poland has overcome and put on such a reflective vest to increase his visibility. Moves after dark in an unlit place, with the awareness “I am visible.” And here is a surprise – reflections do not “shine” and we have a tragedy.

If you already wear reflections, pay attention to whether our reflective motorcycle vest, belts or suspenders are certified and shine.

A fatal accident for Pulaski. Audi a3 hit a man

The policemen together with the prosecutor, explain the causes and circumstances of the tragic accident that occurred on Pułaskiego Street. From the preliminary findings of the police from the traffic department, it appears that the driver of the A3 Audi struck a man passing through the pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian died on the spot.

“The event happened today at around 6.00 on Pułaskiego Street in Częstochowa. From the preliminary findings of the police from the traffic department, it appears that the A3 driver driving towards the Monte Cassino Heroes alley hit a man passing by at the height of the PKP Stradom station by a pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian died on the spot. The 38-year-old driver was sober,” says Marta Landowska, spokeswoman of the Municipal Police Headquarters.

Czestochowa police appeal to road users to wear reflective vests.

“Using reflective materials especially in autumn and winter, when it’s dark early and visibility is definitely worse, it can save our lives. Therefore, wearing reflectivevetss by pedestrians should become a habit. According to the Road Traffic Law, pedestrians who move along the road after dark outside the built-up area are obliged to use reflective elements in a visible way for other road users,” says Marta Landowska.

“Correctly worn reflective elements should be placed in such a place that they are in the field of car lights and visible to drivers coming in from both directions (back and front). If you attach a reflective tape to the backpack (on the back of the silhouette) it is obvious that it will not be noticed by drivers coming from the opposite direction and vice versa when the reflection will be only in front, the driver behind us will not see him. It is safe to have two reflective elements one at the front and the other at the back or use such types of reflectors that can be seen from both sides, for example, reflective bands,” adds Landowska.

A police appeal to drivers and pedestrians

The police are appealing to all road users for caution on the roads.

“In autumn, weather conditions change dramatically and affect driving. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the distance from the vehicle in front, and before the intersection starts the process of stopping and signaling maneuvers earlier than usual,” remind police officers.

Dark and cold mornings, faster twilight, morning fog, the wet and slippery road often covered with leaves, increased rainfall – these factors reduce visibility and extend the braking distance.

“Remember to adjust the speed to the prevailing road conditions, like SAFETY SPEEDS, which in difficult weather conditions is often lower than the speed of road signs,” added officers.

To safely travel it is worth to prepare the vehicle for difficult autumn-winter conditions:

Correct the air pressure in the tires, which, together with the drop in ambient temperature, decreases which significantly affects their grip on the road, plan to change summer tires to winter tires. It is recommended to do this when the air temperature drops below 7 ° C. Summer tire at such temperatures significantly lose its properties, it becomes much slippery and there is a risk of sudden slips, the driver must have good visibility, which is very important especially during difficult weather conditions. Replace worn wiper blades that frequently blur the windshield to create discomfort for the driver.

Special police appeal is also directed at pedestrians who are most exposed to danger on the roads. Remember to avoid entering the road directly in front of the approaching vehicle, make sure that the driver manages to slow down, and on a slippery wet surface the stopping distance of the vehicle is much longer.

A visible pedestrian is a safe pedestrian!

“Every pedestrian should be equipped with a reflective element in order to become more visible to the driver,” informs KWP. Reflective elements may be reflective bands, reflective vests, and reflective tape for clothing. They should be placed at the level of knees, elbows, around the center of the chest and back – then we will be sure that they are clearly visible to other road users. It is worth recalling that after dark a pedestrian dressed in a dark outfit – without a reflection is seen by the driver of the vehicle at a distance of about 30 meters. However, a walking person wearing reflective elements with reflective fabrics becomes visible even from a distance of 150 meters, which allow the driver to slow down and safely avoid walking. Drivers of vehicles must carefully watch the road and pay special attention especially to pedestrians who are invisible during dark mornings and early dusk and not having a reflective element.

The government is giving away reflective vests

The nationwide campaign for the safety of pedestrians on the roads “Good to see you” was inaugurated by the Minister of Justice Zbigniew and the Minister of National Education Anna in the primary school.

The campaign assumes next to educational activities, the distribution of 3 million reflective vests among children in Polish schools by the end of the year..

As she pointed out during the inauguration of the action, it is another solution for children to feel safe and their parents as calm as possible. “The most important thing I want to tell you is that we must be together with your parents and teachers who want you to be the wisest, make you happy, be safe,” said the minister, addressing the children.

She is reminded that the Ministry of National Education is preparing legislation to ensure the safety of students staying in school and going to school, teachers talk about safety on a daily basis, and the directors have sets of procedures. “Today we are together just to be happy that we have more solutions to make you feel safe, and your parents calm about the fact that they guaranteed you a good school and safe school.” she noted.

Zbigniew stressed that for parents and caregivers, the life and health of children are the most valuable. “Our task, the duty is to do everything to make you even safer,” he addressed the children. “Parents, your guardians have such a dilemma – on the one hand, they are happy, they are proud, you become more and more independent, but this greater independence is often accompanied by anxiety. Parents have that will always be to worry about you”. he stressed.

As he made a reservation, referring to Janis Kolchak, “there are times when children have to be left alone – face challenges and threats themselves, there are times when parents cannot accompany you (…) and we have prepared a program for such moments connected with improving your safety on Polish roads and streets.” he stressed.

“Because it is obviously safe – someone who is visible on the road is much more secure.” reminded the Minister of Justice.

As he explained, as part of the Justice Fund, which is to prevent crime (and the Ministry of Justice is in charge of it), money was allocated “that such events, which unfortunately take place on Polish roads, and sometimes are also a crime, were as little as possible”.

“That’s why today we will give you reflective vests that are designed to make you more visible, i.e. more secure” – emphasized Zbigniew. As he informed, vests will be delivered to all schools by the end of the year – for all children.

The head of MS pointed out that they will receive “a total of 3 million children because in Poland too many children participate in collisions involving the car”. “We want these events to be much less – ideally they should not happen at all, and certainly we can limit them if you are more visible.” he added.

As the organizers of the action explain, its size is caused by the scale of the threat. In 2017, there were 32760 accidents in Poland, in which 2381 people were killed and 39446 were injured. In 2822 road accidents, children aged 0-14 participated – 56 children were killed and 3116 injured.

It appears that from among the total number of accidents in 8197, pedestrians participated, and at pedestrian crossings, there were 13% traffic events.

During the Monday inauguration of the campaign, staff from the Police School in Katowice emphasized that reflective vests with the reflective fabrics significantly increase the chance for the driver to see the pedestrian. In unlit areas, with poor visibility, they should be visible in the car light from a distance of about 200 meters.

The ambassador of the action is actor Cezary Pazura, who among others occurs in the advertising spot promoting the campaign, and also puts the sound in the accompanying cartoons. On Monday, he said that he remembers his friend’s fatal accident from a childhood in a small town, although he was walking correctly on the left side of the road.

“I am happy that there is an initiative that children will get these vests for free, because sometimes we do not think about such things. Children in the city are easier at all, there is the light that regulate traffic. There is street lighting. In small towns, safety is often a big problem. “said Claw.

In addition to the 3 million reflective vests with reflective materials, the action “Good to see you” will include an educational campaign. Every student in the elementary school is to receive a leaflet (with a lesson plan on the back) containing “7 reflective road councils” – comprising a handy guide for safe behavior on the roads. All basic schools are also expected to find lesson plans on the subject.

Active advertising spots and accompanying cartoons are to be shown on television and the Internet. The message is to be: knowledge (on the rules of participation in road traffic), awareness (consequences of non-compliance with rules), responsibility (awareness of the impact of own behavior on own and other safety), readiness (adapt to conditions, also by inserting a vest) and kindness (positive attitude towards other traffic participants).

A unique lesson about rescue and a glowing example of students

Show miniatures In Primary School No. 2, there was a Lifeguard Day. It was part of the Reflective School project in which this institution takes part, but it also fits in with the holidays celebrated on these days: October 13 is the Day of the Lifeguard, while October 19 is the Day of the Lifeguard.

The firefighters, paramedics, rescuers, members of the Search and Rescue and Dogs Group and the Mountain Volunteer Rescue Service told the students about their work and rescue operations. It was a unique lesson before attempting to break the record in simultaneous cardiopulmonary resuscitation by as many people as possible.

As part of the campaign, the school equips its students with reflective vests and is preparing to beat one more record – on October 25. Teachers and students want to create the longest live reflective chain.