Each responsible parent begins to acquaint his child with the rules of the SDA at an early preschool age. We teach kids to cross the road and monitor the traffic lights. Meanwhile, children under the age of 18 are still involved in traffic accidents caused by drivers. A retroreflective element is a real protective tool that can help a pedestrian become more visible on the road.
Operating principle
Retroreflective stripes are sewn without fail on the uniform of police officers and some other departments, overalls for road workers and sportswear of well-known brands. The principle of operation of such inserts is simple. In bright light, they have a normal look. But it is worth getting light on them in conditions of poor visibility, as it will be reflected. In case of insufficient illumination of the carriageway, the driver can notice a pedestrian only from a distance of 25-30 meters. Often this gap is not enough for timely braking.
The retroreflective element on the clothes allows you to notice the pedestrian at a distance of 200 meters in the dipped headlights, and about 350 meters in the high beam. At the same time, reflective elements or, as they are also called, flickers, are now available to everyone. You can protect yourself by choosing clothes with retroreflective inserts, wearing special bracelets, key rings, pendants. Flickers in the form of stickers for fabric and plastic are also sold. A correctly selected retroreflective element will not spoil, but will decorate your outfit. And most importantly - it can really save your life!
Is it obligatory to wear flickers in Russia?
In our country, the law on the mandatory use of retro-reflective elements by pedestrians came into effect on July 1, 2015. It clearly spells out situations and cases where wearing flickers is mandatory. A retroreflective element on pedestrian clothing should be present when traveling on the carriageway outside settlements. Be sure to use this personal protective equipment during rain and fog, as well as when crossing a road, moving along its edge or curb. There is even a fine, the minimum amount of which is 500 rubles for non-compliance with this traffic rule. At the same time, retroreflective elements cost from 15 rubles apiece. In all other cases, wearing flickers is optional, but recommended.
Reflective Tips
How to wear retroreflective elements correctly? The easiest way: choose outerwear to which reflective strips are sewn by the manufacturer. Today it’s not difficult to find such jackets, pants and accessories on sale. It is desirable that there are several reflective inserts in one outfit. Flickers today can be found in the form of key rings, badges, and even decals for clothes. Pay attention also to bright bracelets and stickers for surfaces made of hard materials.
Place reflective parts not only on clothing, but also on the headgear, purse or backpack. If your clothing does not have sewn-in strips that can reflect light, tie a flicker bandage onto your sleeve. With the help of retroreflective stickers, you can also decorate and protect a children's bike, scooter or stroller.
How to make retroreflective elements with your own hands?
On sale today you can find flickers of all colors of the rainbow, any sizes and shapes. But it’s much more interesting to make a beautiful and useful accessory with your own hands. For such a craft, you will need: reflective tape, cardboard, pieces of bright fabric and auxiliary tools. Get started by sketching a future flicker. It can be a simple figure - a rhombus or a heart, or something more complex, for example, an image of an animal. According to the sketch, cut 2 patterns of the same shape, one of which should be less than the other along the perimeter by about 1 centimeter. A larger workpiece is cut out of fabric, and a smaller one is made from reflective tape.
The most important stage of work is the connection of parts. A smaller workpiece is glued to a larger element (cut out of fabric). If necessary, the edges of the textile part are pre-processed. Your flicker is ready - you can sew it on your favorite jacket or wear it as a key ring, attaching a cord to it. Clothing with retroreflective elements made by your own hands will surely please the child and become his reliable protection on the road!