Reflectors can save our lives
The autumn weather means that it gets dark faster, which, combined with adverse weather conditions, makes pedestrians less visible to drivers. Everyone who moves along the road at dawn or dusk should have reflective elements on them.
It is not without reason that pedestrians are called unprotected road users. Their chances of collision with a vehicle are small. Sometimes it is enough to take care of your safety - walking on the sidewalks or the right side of the road, going to designated places, or not getting on the road from behind parked vehicles. Especially now in the autumn, when it gets darker faster and the road conditions are often difficult, reflectors play a very important role in our safety.
Pedestrians who travel along the road without glare, both after dusk and in the morning, are hardly visible to the driver. The driver can notice the pedestrian-only from a distance of about 40 meters, but during rainfall or fog, this distance is even smaller. If a person has reflective elements with them, the driver can see them from a distance of up to 150 meters. It is also important that pedestrians avoid dark clothes because they are virtually invisible to drivers. Even the smallest reflective element, such as a key lanyard or pendant, will make us more visible.
Policemen remind that from August 31, 2014, pedestrians who move along the road at dusk outside the built-up area are required to wear reflective elements in a way visible to other road users. Persons who do not comply with this provision must face legal consequences.
Not only pedestrians must remember to be visible on the road - the same applies to cyclists and mopeds. Each bike should be equipped with lighting - at the front with one white position light, at the back with one red and additionally a red reflector in a shape other than a triangle. Additional protection, though, traffic rules do not impose an obligation on cyclists to use protective helmets or reflective vests, it is worth using them. By putting on a helmet, we protect our head against serious injuries, and the reflective vest makes us visible to other drivers from a greater distance.
Policemen also call on drivers to remember to limit speed and slow down in the areas of pedestrian crossings and schools and be careful in unlit places where there are no sidewalks. Let us remember that together we are responsible for our security.
